It was almost as if I was dreaming when I heard the first words come out of his mouth. It took me right back to those hundreds of hours of CD’s that my high school tennis coach gave me to listen to. At first I shrugged those CD’s off as useless “self-help” stuff that people who didn’t have ambition or the right attitudes in life needed – in order to try to get out of their own way. But, the further I got into training at higher mental levels – state championships, official visits at universities around the country and setting my sights on making an Olympic run for my home island of Barbados – the more I noticed that the words coming out of this guy’s mouth on these CDs were coming in more and more handy in my “self talk” as I was working my way through grueling matches in the 100 degree Florida weather.

And today, it’s almost like I’m in the future. I’m sitting in a hotel room on vacation, while my wife and kids are down at the beach. I told them I’d be back in an hour, I was going to go to San Francisco to NASA to conduct an interview with that same guy with the voice. This only sounds truly crazy if you understand the fact that I was on vacation in North Florida. I’ve been known to be unrealistic about time before, but to San Francisco and back in an hour?! What?!

How did I plan to do this?! Don’t laugh…a robot. Okay, okay, I know this has the sound of a poorly-written sci-fi novel, but in reality it was all true. I am working on a documentary right now about Peter Diamandis. If you don’t know who Peter is, he is the co-author of the New York Times Best-Selling Book, Abundance. He is also the founder of the X-Prize. You know, the one launched in 1996 where some crazy guy offered $10 million to the first team that could circumnavigate the globe twice sub-orbitally, within a 2-week period? The same one that Richard Branson bought the technology for and created Virgin Galactic? Yeah…that X-Prize. And that crazy guy who made the offer, and didn’t even know where he was going to get the $10 million from, was Peter. Peter is also the founder of Singularity University with Google and NASA. He’s the real deal. And for this documentary, here are a few of Peter’s “friends” we’re interviewing: Richard Branson, Quincy Jones, Will.i.am, and quite a few more.

But today, I am using what’s called a “BEAM” robot. The BEAM is made by Suitable Technologies, founded by Scott Hasaan, who was the key software architect and developer of Google, Alexa Internet and the Stanford Digital Library—another friend of Peter’s. Yeah, I know, what a slouch!

As I beam into Singularity University on the NASA Campus, I access the robot. My face comes up on the screen so others can see me and talk to me, and I start looking around. It seems eerily similar to what it must feel like for a newborn baby. Darkness, and then light, and trying to make out where you are and what your surroundings mean…except this time, I’m in a closet…and I have to get out. (…cue joke here.) I start driving forwards, but I realize I have to drive over wires that look like some my film crew, who I flew in from LA, left in the doorway. And then I hear some talking.

I recognize the voices of my crew, so I yell for help, and they come and rescue me, helping me navigate the wires. I drive down the hallway and make it through a few tight spots, as I check the camera angles my Director of Photography, Ramy, who many of you know, has set up for me, and then I drive to the spot right next to the camera that I would be sitting in if I were there live. Actually, I had been in that same spot with the same robot about 2 weeks prior, interviewing the legendary futurist Ray Kurzweil, who Forbes Magazine called “the rightful heir to Thomas Edison”, who is also the Chief Engineer at Google. You may also know him as the inventor of the synthesizer, the inventor of the flat bed scanner, OCR text recognition, and also as the New York Times Best-Selling Author of the book, The Singularity is Near.

As I was waiting today for our interview subject to come in, I see Peter Diamandis, and we catch up for a few minutes as I fill him in on where we are with filming — he sounds pleased. It’s a nice thing to hear a guy who Fortune Magazine just ranked as one of the 50 Most Influential Leaders in the World in 2014, say good things about you, I’m not gonna’ lie! After Peter and I catch up, Ramy and I exchange a few words and he asks me if I want to see the room where most of this event is taking place. I say sure, and we head down the hall together. I keep trying to clip his heels…just for fun. He laughs and starts walking a little faster than the BEAM can so I’ll leave him alone. But alas, we reach the limit of this robot, the stairs! So we back up and get into place to wait for the interview.

Finally, there’s some hustling and bustling from down the hall and I hear, “He’s coming,” and everyone gets into place. He rolls in and is upbeat and very cordial, much more so than I was expecting. We go through the common niceties, I tell him hello from a few of our mutual friends to build rapport. He engages instantly and makes a few jokes to get back and tell them what he said about our mutual friends, and then says he’s ready to roll for the interview. “Cameras speeding,” I hear, and we’re off.

I ask the first question and that voice comes out and takes me back to when I was 16 – listening to those self-help CDs in-between tennis matches and pop, rock and country hits. The voice belongs to personal development juggernaut, Tony Robbins. But now, he is live. At least live with me and my robot.

As you can imagine, the interview couldn’t have gone better. I could have practically sat there and stared at Tony and magic would have rolled out of his mouth, but I asked the questions for the perspective I need for the movie. I ask him about Peter, about Abundance, about X-prizes, about Singularity University, and he is very forthcoming about donating millions of his own dollars to these causes to see the advancement of the future. Tony is a part of this inner circle with Peter – among the richest, most famous people in the world – who all believe “the future is better than you think.” Why? Because they’re dedicated to making it that way. And my goal is to empower the messages of Tony Robbins, Peter Diamandis, Richard Branson, Quincy Jones and many others to help the world get out of a scarcity mindset and start helping to create abundance in the future for ourselves and our children. Just as the interview ends, I realize it’s time for me to get back to my world and my children. So, we take a quick selfie (of course!) and out I beam, back to Florida, back to the beach. All in all, I was a bit unrealistic about the time frame. It took more like an hour and a half, but when I got back to the beach, my wife and kids were glad I wasn’t gone for too long, and ready to play in the surf again…all thanks to technology, and a future I couldn’t have even begun to imagine just a couple of years ago, before I met Peter. And I want you to be able to see the future the way I can now, too.

We are going to introduce many of you to these types of technologies when we host our X-Group Mastermind meeting with Peter in the X-Prize office in Los Angeles in February of 2015. It’s going to be incredible. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we have a few spots left for executive producers and producers who want to help fund the movie I’m making on Peter. I truly believe it is going to win a TON of awards and make a huge impact on the world. If you’d like to learn more about the X-Group or the movie with Peter, feel free to email me at: Nick@DNAgency.com or call the office at 800-980-1626.

For now, the kids are sleeping, and we’ve got more vacationing to do tomorrow. So, I’m off to dream of a future that’s better than I thought.

Orlando, FL – June 27, 2014 – Best-selling authors Nick Nanton, Esq. and JW Dicks, Esq., Founders of The Dicks and Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency®, recently joined a select group of leading business experts from around the world, along with best-selling author and speaker, Brian Tracy to co-write the book titled, The Winning Way:The World’s Leading Entrepreneurs and Professionals Share How They are Winning in Life and Business and You Can Too! The book was released on June 19, 2014 by CelebrityPress – a leading business book publisher.

On the day of release, The Winning Way reached best-seller status in three Amazon.com categories – reaching #8 in the “Direct Marketing” category and #12 in the “Marketing For Small Business” category. The book also reached best-seller status in the “Marketing” category.

A 3-time Emmy® Award Winning Director and Producer, Nick Nanton, Esq., is known as the Top Agent to Celebrity Experts around the world for his role in developing and marketing business and professional experts, through personal branding, media, marketing and PR. Nick is recognized as the nation’s leading expert on personal branding as Fast Company Magazine’s Expert Blogger on the subject and lectures regularly on the topic at major universities around the world. His first book Celebrity Branding You®, while an easy and informative read, has also been used a text book at the University level.

JW Dicks is the Nation’s Foremost Expert on Personal Branding For Business Development, Attorney, Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Business Strategist, JW has been called the “Expert to Experts,” written over 31 business books, and is Editor and Publisher of Celebrity Expert Insider Newsletter. He is a Director of the National Academy of Best Selling Authors and has received an Emmy® Award as an Executive Producer.

CelebrityPress describes The Winning Way:

By definition, winning means that you competed and you came out ahead. Human nature requires us to compete in order to survive. Therefore, winning and survival have the element of success in common. To ascend to a winning position, you need a goal, a desire to achieve it, and the qualities of discipline, perseverance and action to attain it.

Having your goal and setting yourself up to achieve your goal is the first step in the process. You adjust your mindset and begin to plan diligently. Goals may be as different as DNA, but methodologies have much in common. Furthermore, your plans and expectations will need adjustments as you go along. That is why the knowledge shared by the CelebrityExperts® in this book will be of importance to you.

The advice and suggestions of these CelebrityExperts® are based on their experiences – both their accomplishments and their shipwrecks. The knowledge they share will allow you to make plans that can propel you in the right direction. That is the function of a mentor – to guide you where you are going and to advise what to avoid.

The royalties from this project will be given to Entrepreneur’s International Foundation, a not for profit organization dedicated to creating unique launch campaigns to raise money and awareness for charitable causes.

About Nick Nanton, Esq.:

A 3-Time Emmy Award Winning Director, Producer and Filmmaker, Nick Nanton, Esq., is known as the Top Agent to Celebrity Experts® around the world for his role in developing and marketing business and professional experts, through personal branding, media, marketing and PR.

Nick serves as the CEO of The Dicks + Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency, an international branding and media agency with more than 2200 clients in 33 countries. Nick has produced large scale events and television shows with the likes of Steve Forbes, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield (Creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series), Michael E. Gerber, Tom Hopkins, Dan Kennedy and many more.

Nick is recognized as one of the top thought-leaders in the business world speaking on major stages internationally and having co-authored 34 best-selling books, including the Wall Street Journal Best-Seller, StorySelling.

Nick has been seen in USA Today, The Wall St. Journal, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, Entrepreneur® Magazine, Forbes, FastCompany.com. and has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX television affiliates around the country, as well as E!, CNN, FOX News, CNBC, MSNBC and hosts his own series on the Bio! channel, Portraits of Success.

Nick is a member of the Florida Bar, a voting member of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (Home to The GRAMMYs), a member of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Home to the EMMYs), The National Academy of Best-Selling Authors, and spends his spare time working with Young Life, Downtown Credo Orlando, Entrepreneurs International and rooting for the Florida Gators with his wife Kristina and their three children, Brock, Bowen and Addison.

Learn more at http://www.NickNanton.com and http://www.CelebrityBrandingAgency.com

About J.W. Dicks:

JW Dicks, is America’s foremost expert on personal branding for business development and the Business Agent® to top Celebrity Experts. He is an advisor to clients internationally and has created business development and marketing campaigns that have produced sales of over a billion dollars in products and services. He is a Best Selling author with over 31 business books to his credit and has co-authored with Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Tom Hopkins, Dr. Ivan Misner and Mari Smith.

JW is called the “Expert to the Experts” and has appeared and been quoted in such national media as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, Forbes.com, CNBC.Com, and Fortune Small business. His television appearances include ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates around the country. He is the resident branding expert for Fast Company’s internationally syndicated blog and is the editor and publisher of Celebrity Expert Insider, a monthly newsletter to experts worldwide. He produces and syndicates a line of franchised business television shows and received an Emmy nomination as Executive Producer of the documentary film Jacob’s Turn.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/news/nick-nanton-and-jw-dicks-hit-amazon-best-seller-list-with-the-winning-way.php/feed0KIM KARDASHIAN AND THE POWER OF A CELEBRITY BRANDhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/kim-kardashian-and-the-power-of-a-celebrity-brand.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/kim-kardashian-and-the-power-of-a-celebrity-brand.php#respondThu, 26 Sep 2013 19:25:38 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5437This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Kim Kardashian And The Power Of A Celebrity Brand

Kim Kardashian, according to CelebNetWorth.com, gets paid about $20,000 to tweet out a product endorsement on her Twitter account. She earns from $50,000 to $100,000 for one appearance at clubs, parties, and other events. For some international events, she’s been paid a cool million. It’s a lot cheaper if you come just to see her–she supposedly charged guests from $1,000 to $2,500 to attend her 30th birthday party in 2010.

In 2012, according to Forbes Magazine, she earned a total of $18 million from product lines, personal appearances, her TV series, and everything else the Kardashian empire has its hands in.

As everyone knows, celebrities like Kardashian, Justine Timberlake, Heidi Klum, andeven the Olsen twins from the old Full House sitcom can generate income from all sorts of side ventures–just by attaching the power of their celebrity brands to them. Because they’ve created names that their audiences know and respond to, they can use that name to generate consistent and meaningful revenue–even when they seem to be famous just for being famous! In other words, the celebrity brand is what drives their success, not their talent.

You might think that in the business world, the rules are different. But are they? Maybe you’re not a reality TV star, a supermodel, or a hot musical act that might show up onSaturday Night Live, but you can still establish a name for yourself that can create some very profitable results.

Let’s go deeper into this idea.

What do the celebrities we named a couple paragraphs ago have in common? One thing–they had a very visible presence in the public eye. Timberlake and the Olsen twins started as child stars on TV shows. Heidi Klum has been a top model for over 20 years. And Kim Kardashian . . . well, most of us know how she first attracted so much attention.

Now, we’re not claiming a lawyer, a dentist, or a financial planner, to name a few of the types of clients we handle, will ever reach Kardashian-istic (yes, we know that’s not a real word) heights. What can happen, however, is that through the same kind of concentrated exposure, any entrepreneur, professional, or business owner can develop their own powerful personal brands that pay off in a multiplicity of ways, such as:

Increased fees for services: Obviously, the more you’re recognized in your field and known in your community, the more people will pay for access to your expertise.

More clients and customers: Your celebrity brand will draw more people to your door for your products and/or services, simply because they know your name and that gives you more credibility.

Paid media appearances: As an established expert, you’ll be in demand as a speaker and possibly even on for-pay panels. You can also hold webinars and in-person seminars and charge top dollar.

Recognition in your field: The more of a leadership position you assume in your industry, the more others who are in the same business will look to you for your advice and guidance. Many of our clients generate a lot of extra revenue by coaching others who do what they do.

Entree to exclusive circles: Successful people love to get together with other successful people and compare notes–or even create a formal mastermind group, as defined by Napoleon Hill in his groundbreaking book, Think and Grow Rich, to assist with each other’s entrepreneurial efforts. The more powerful your celebrity brand is, the more access you’ll have to these high-level summits.

While the celebrity brand concept remains the same whether you’re an Olsen twin or a tax attorney, the game does have to be played a little differently in the business world. While living crazy lives does nothing but awesome things for the Kardashians, negative attention in the business world isn’t really what you’re after. So before you decide to set fire to a hotel room or take an Anthony Weiner-style selfie, remember that you need to associate three important elements–trust, credibility, and expertise–with your celebrity brand.

At our agency, we make that happen for our clients by placing them in best-selling books; high-production branded films; interview shows that are broadcast on CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX affiliates as well as other cable news outlets; and in prestigious print outlets such as the Wall Street Journal,Forbes Magazine, and USA Today. In all those venues, they not only gain the right kind of exposure, but they’re also able to prove their expertise in a way that’s benefit-oriented for the reader or viewer.

The bottom line is that when you make yourself as visible as possible and, at the same time, build a powerful brand story, you create a celebrity brand that packs a punch that would leave Rocky Balboa reeling. So, yes, in some ways, we’re recommending that you should actually emulate Kim Kardashian–but you still might want to think twice about getting into a relationship with Kanye West.

JW Dicks (@jwdicks) and Nick Nanton (@nicknanton) are best-selling authors who consult for small- and medium-size businesses on how to build their business through personality-driven marketing, personal-brand positioning, guaranteed media, and mining hidden business assets. They offer free articles, white papers, and case studies at celebritybrandingagency.com.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/kim-kardashian-and-the-power-of-a-celebrity-brand.php/feed0Personal Branding 101: Four Reasons Investing in Others Can Help You Build Your Businesshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-four-reasons-investing-in-others-can-help-you-build-your-business.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-four-reasons-investing-in-others-can-help-you-build-your-business.php#respondMon, 23 Sep 2013 14:30:50 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5425Many of you are familiar with Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of the worldwide networking organization BNI. I had the privilege of co-authoring a book with Dr. Misner a few years ago, and had the opportunity to learn more about him and his philosophies. One of his cornerstone tenants is that “Givers Gain” – in other words, investing into others is the best way to pursue your own interests, as well.

And while Dr. Misner’s philosophy is focused primarily on business networking, I’ve seen over the years that investing into others is an incredible way to grow your own business in general. Below are four reasons that this is the case.

1) “Proving” that you care builds real relationships. It is one thing to pay lip service and tell people that you care. It’s quite another to roll up your sleeves and prove it. Whether you’re working with a local non-profit organization or helping a fellow business owner polish his strategy, dedicating your own time and expertise makes a real impression. And you can bet that the person or organization you help will be looking for an opportunity to return the favor.

2) Helping others is a great way to demonstrate your own abilities. You are good at what you do, right? That’s why you started a business of your own. But how can you prove your talents to the rest of the world, particularly if you don’t yet have a long list of clients? Donating your time and abilities to individuals and organizations that need help is a great way to “show off” your abilities. Do a great job and you can bet others will take note – and think of you when they need your services!

3) You never know what inspiration you’ll get from new experiences. It is amazing how many ‘light bulbs” can go off when you put yourself in an unfamiliar situation. Working with others offers you the opportunity to view challenges and opportunities from a brand new perspective, and you never know where the next valuable insight will come from. That doesn’t mean you have to say “yes” to every opportunity that arises, but make it a point to get involved in projects that take you outside of your everyday routine.

4) We’re all in it together. Finally, remember that business is not a zero-sum game. It’s in your best interest to have your business surrounded by thriving individuals, families, and businesses. So the work that you do in your community can pay real dividends for your business—although admittedly it doesn’t happen overnight. Look for opportunities to invest into your community at large as well as your fellow business owners and professionals. Sooner or later, your efforts are going to pay off.

Investing into others is the right thing to do, but it’s also good business. And it’s one reason I’m so proud of our clients for donating the royalties of their book purchases towards Entrepreneurs International, a foundation we created that works to raise money and awareness for charitable causes.

So the next time that the opportunity arises for you to make a difference in the life of someone else, remember that helping out is a win-win proposition!

Orlando, FL – September 13, 2013 – Nick Nanton, Esq., Founder of The Dicks and Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency®, a Personal Branding company, recently published a blog on his website (http://www.nicknanton.com) discussing personal branding. The blog, titled “Personal Branding 101: To Become a Celebrity… Act Like a Celebrity!” offers three powerful branding strategies to his readers.

An Emmy Award Winning Director and Producer, Nick Nanton, Esq., is known as The Celebrity Lawyer and Agent to top Celebrity Experts for his role in developing and marketing business and professional experts, through personal branding, media, marketing and PR to help them gain credibility and recognition for their accomplishments. Nick is recognized as the nation’s leading expert on personal branding as Fast Company Magazine’s Expert Blogger on the subject and lectures regularly on the topic at major universities around the world.

The CEO of The Dicks + Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency, Nick is an award winning director, producer and songwriter who has worked on everything from large scale events to television shows with the likes of Jack Canfield (co-creator of the Chicken Soup of rate Soul Series), Michael E. Gerber (The E-Myth), Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy, Tom Hopkins, Dr. Ivan Misner (founder of BNI), Mari Smith, Robert Allen, Jay Conrad Levinson and many more.

Nick is recognized as one of the top thought-leaders in the business world and has co-authored 23 best-selling books, including the breakthrough hit Celebrity Branding You!, that has been used as a college textbook on personal branding. Nick serves as publisher of CelebrityPress®, a publishing company that produces and releases books by top Business Experts. CelebrityPress® has published books by many celebrity experts and Nick has led the marketing and PR campaigns that have driven more than 800 authors to Best-Seller status. Nick has been seen in USA Today, The Wall St. Journal, Newsweek, Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, FastCompany.com and has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX television affiliates around the country, as well as on CNN, FOX News, CNBC and MSNBC in major markets across the nation, speaking on subjects ranging from branding, marketing and law, to American Idol.

Nick is a member of the Florida Bar, holds a JD from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, as well as a BSBA in Finance from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. Nick is a voting member of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS, Home to The GRAMMYs), a member of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Home to the Emmy Awards) co-founder of the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors, a 13-time Telly Award winner, and spends his spare time working with Young Life and Downtown Credo Orlando as well as rooting for the Florida Gators with his wife Kristina and their three children, Brock, Bowen and Addison.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/news/personal-branding-expert-nick-nanton-publishes-blog-highlighting-personal-branding-strategy.php/feed0Personal Branding 101: To Become a Celebrity… Act Like a Celebrity!https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-101-to-become-a-celebrity-act-like-a-celebrity.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-101-to-become-a-celebrity-act-like-a-celebrity.php#respondThu, 12 Sep 2013 15:31:39 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5411One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is very simple: celebrities are regular people, just like you and I. They have special talents and abilities, just like you do. They just know how to promote their expertise, and today we are going to talk about how you can too.

Why is this important?

As we have discussed in previous blogs and articles, your business can benefit tremendously if you create a powerful CelebrityExpert® brand. Becoming the “expert” in your market leads to more customers, better retention rates, and ultimately more money in your pocket.

So the fact that celebrities are people just like you… means that you have what it takes to create a CelebrityExpert® brand of your own.

Celebrity status isn’t something you’re born with (ok, unless you’re born to British royalty), it’s something you develop. And below are three ways you can develop your celebrity status:

1) Network like a celebrity. One thing virtually every celebrity has in common is a long list of contacts in key places. As the saying goes, it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know. Make it a priority to build relationships with important players in your marketplace. You may be amazed at the doors that open up to you.

2) Speak like a celebrity. Speaking in public creates a powerful perception of expertise. Most people are terrified of speaking in public, and if you’re wiling do to so, you’ve created instant credibility. Even if it’s as simple as speaking to a networking group or a business function from time to time, public speaking is a key element to creating a CelebrityExpert® brand.

3) Write like a celebrity. Writing about a subject, any subject, implies expertise. Writing a book on your industry, aimed at your target market, is one of the most powerful steps you can take when it comes to building your brand. And while it may sound like an overwhelming project, trust me when I tell you that writing a book isn’t as difficult as you might think. And I guarantee that you’ve got a book in you, even if it is hard for you to picture right now. Write a book and cement your CelebrityExpert® status within your marketplace!

If you’d like to learn more about how YOU can become a celebrity within your marketplace, please get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-101-to-become-a-celebrity-act-like-a-celebrity.php/feed0Celebrity Branding: Four “Little Things” That Will Enhance Your Celebrity Status Overnighthttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/celebrity-branding-four-little-things-that-will-enhance-your-celebrity-status-overnight.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/celebrity-branding-four-little-things-that-will-enhance-your-celebrity-status-overnight.php#respondWed, 28 Aug 2013 19:08:11 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5390Building a CelebrityExpert® brand is a process. And to achieve this goal, we help our clients to leverage a variety of media tools, from video productions to cutting-edge websites and everything in between. But as I tell clients, building a powerful personal brand isn’t just about large-scale media strategies. Just as important are the “little things” that a business owner must get right in order to build an authentic brand.

Below are four of these “little things” that play a big role in creating a powerful CelebrityExpert® brand.

1) Sharpen your elevator speech. When you have 20-30 seconds to tell someone about your business… what are you going to say? A well-crafted elevator speech is critical in order to intrigue your audience and help them quickly grasp your unique skills and abilities. Take some time to practice your elevator speech – and ask for feedback from friends, family, and colleagues.

2) Dress the part. It’s a simple principle, but something many people overlook… you have to dress the part! If your brand is “Mr. High Powered Lawyer”, your suit needs to match that image. Just as an actor in a movie is always dressed for his or her role, you should always be “in character” for the brand you are building.

3) Invest in an appropriate business card. It’s easy to find cheap business cards, but is that really the first impression you want to make? If you don’t already have one, invest into a business card that projects the credibility and the expertise you are seeking to develop. You never want to be embarrassed to hand out your card!

4) Adopt a “celebrity mindset.”Finally, begin thinking of yourself as a CelebrityExpert®. Carry yourself appropriately, and you will be amazed at how differently your audience begins to perceive you. This doesn’t mean that you should be cocky – but you should be confident in yourself and your expertise.

Questions or comments? Get in touch with me, or any of the Agents in our Agency, if you’d like to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/celebrity-branding-four-little-things-that-will-enhance-your-celebrity-status-overnight.php/feed0Celebrity Branding Online: Five Keys to a Powerful Internet Presencehttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-online-five-keys-to-a-powerful-internet-presence.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-online-five-keys-to-a-powerful-internet-presence.php#respondMon, 26 Aug 2013 17:52:52 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5387The internet is an incredible tool for small businesses. We have worked closely with dozens of business owners who have used the internet to leverage their personal brand and their expertise in order to create a powerful CelebrityExpert® brand.

And the good news is that today’s technology makes it easier than ever for a business to create an internet presence. But, while it may be easy to “get up and running”, there’s still a lot of work that goes into creating an appealing and engaging personal brand. Today, we’re going to look at five key components of a powerful online presence. How are you doing with each of these?

1) Create a branded, engaging website. It’s not enough for a business website today to simply contain a list of information and perhaps a phone number. An effective website must be engaging and compelling. That means understanding your target market enough to “hook” them – and it means creating a site that reflects your expertise and the brand you are creating.

2) Remember that it all comes back to providing value. “Value” is the magic word. If your website, your blogs, your articles, and your social media presence don’t provide value to your audience, they will be ignored. Use these platforms to share breaking news, analyze recent developments, and provide practical tips to your audience.

3) Leverage email marketing. Social media is one great way to engage your audience – but it only works when they’re online and using social media themselves. Email marketing, on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to consistently interact with your customers and your market as long as they are checking their email inbox. (And these days, who isn’t??) Remember to focus on providing value in order to keep your readers engaged.

4) Give away “freebies” in order to build your list. Your email marketing campaigns are a great way to stay top-of-mind with your customers and to keep your market aware of what you are offering. But if you don’t have any email addresses to send to, what does it matter? One of the most effective ways to build a targeted email list is by offering free content, such as e-books, special reports, video seminars, and so forth. Simply require that the user give you their email address in order to access the content. Promote these freebies on your website and through social media, and you will see your email list start to grow steadily.

5) Use pictures and video to tell your story. You know the saying – a picture is worth 1,000 words. And a video is even more powerful. The simple truth is that pictures and video are far more engaging than pages and pages of text. So embrace it! Create a video introducing yourself and welcoming people to your site. Share pictures and video of your team at work. Post pictures of your latest products. Take advantage of visual media to keep your audience engaged.

Questions or comments? Feel free to get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-online-five-keys-to-a-powerful-internet-presence.php/feed0Is Your Personal Brand Lost In Translation? How To Clearly Communicate Your Valuehttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/is-your-personal-brand-lost-in-translation-how-to-clearly-communicate-your-value.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/is-your-personal-brand-lost-in-translation-how-to-clearly-communicate-your-value.php#respondFri, 23 Aug 2013 14:02:46 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5335This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Is Your Personal Brand Lost In Translation? How To Clearly Communicate Your Value

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“The small grass is feel ashamed to smile, please don’t bother it.”

“Please use the escalator on your behind.”

“Take the Initiative for Bringing Invalidity Pregnant Parks.”

No, we’re not making the above phrases up. These are actual public signs posted in foreign countries, where English is definitely not the first language. Now, the reader can almost get the idea of what they were aiming at – but not quite. That’s because the authors of those signs have some of the right words – but definitely not all of them.

That’s because, as an authority in your field, you have a certain expertise that most of your audience does not. That’s great, because that expertise is the basis of your business and brand; you’re selling a knowledge base that your customers lack. But that advantage also sets up a challenge, in that those customers may have difficulty understanding what you’re trying to convey. Just because you know what you’re talking about doesn’t mean they do.

Providing inadequate information, so that your audience reaches their own conclusions, rather than the one you intended. For example, if you fail to let people know why you have credibility in your area, they may not fully believe your messaging.

Misinterpretation, where you word things in such a way that the audience gets the wrong idea. A good example of this is when you over-explain something and people think it’s too complicated for them to deal with.

The good news is that you can solve these potential problems before they happen – by making sure your communication is efficient and effective. Here are a few ways your personal branding efforts can bridge the gap between what you know and what your potential customer doesn’t:

Consider the best way to convey your information

Is it better to do a series of internet videos to communicate your personal brand? Or are a series of books better suited to your purpose? Decide what medium allows you to most clearly articulate your personal brand – as well as gives you the best shot at reaching your specific niche.

Use the simplest, clearest language to communicate.

Jargon is a great shortcut to “talk shop” when you’re commiserating with fellow professionals – but it’s the worst possible way to talk to your leads. The more complex your language is, the more likely you’re liable to leave your audiences confused – so use plain and simple wording whenever possible.

Go from A to Z.

Structure can be all-important when you’re talking to an audience. The old three-point rule of “tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, tell ‘em what you told ‘em” is actually some ancient wisdom from Aristotle himself. Don’t jump around with information; instead, put it in a clear and understandable order that people can easily follow.

Tailor your presentation to the audience you’re talking to.

If you’re communicating with a very specific niche, make sure you speak their language. If it’s a group of soccer moms, be practical and down to earth, if it’s a C-level seminar, be polished and informative. And, if you’re in another country, make sure you know the rules of the game there. Remember, it’s all about them, not all about you.

There’s no doubt miscommunication can be costly; just ask the state of New Jersey, because it cost them $200 million a few years ago. Communication should always be a decisive advantage to your personal brand, not a detriment – so make sure your message is coming through loud and clear!

Orlando, Fla. – August 14, 2013 – Nick Nanton, Esq. and JW Dicks, Esq., Founders of The Dicks and Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency®, recently joined a select group of the America’s leading experts to co-author the book titled, Think and Grow Rich Today: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal How They are Using the Classic Principles of Napoleon Hill to Think and Grow Rich Today! The book was released on August 8th, 2013 by CelebrityPress – a leading business book publisher.

Think and Grow Rich Today showcases Nick, JW and other experts who have followed Napoleon Hill’s teachings, applied his principles in our new economy and have enjoyed success. Their stories have that taste and smell of success that most dream of. These Celebrity Experts® are able to inform, guide and show you how they have used his methods in the New Economy to achieve true success in many areas. JW Dicks and Nick Nanton contributed a chapter titled “Specialized Knowledge: The CELEBRITY BRANDING® Secret of Success.”

On the day of release, Think and Grow Rich Today reached best-seller status in five Amazon.com categories – reaching as high as #1 in the Direct Marketing category. The book also reached best-seller status in the following categories: “Marketing and Sales,” “Marketing,” “Small Business and Entrepreneurship,” “Entrepreneurship” and “Business and Investing.”

An Emmy Award Winning Director and Producer, Nick Nanton, Esq., is known as the Top Agent to Celebrity Experts around the world for his role in developing and marketing business and professional experts, through personal branding, media, marketing and PR. Nick is recognized as the nation’s leading expert on personal branding as Fast Company Magazine’s Expert Blogger on the subject and lectures regularly on the topic at major universities around the world. His book Celebrity Branding You®, while an easy and informative read, has also been used a text book at the University level.

JW Dicks is the Nation’s Foremost Expert on Personal Branding For Business Development, Attorney, Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Business Strategist, JW has been called the “Expert to Experts,” written over 29 business books, and is Editor and Publisher of Celebrity Expert Insider Newsletter. He is a Director of the National Academy of Best Selling Authors and has received an Emmy Nomination as an Executive Producer.

The royalties from this project will be given to Entrepreneur’s International Foundation, a not for profit organization dedicated to creating unique launch campaigns to raise money and awareness for charitable causes.

An Emmy Award Winning Director and Producer, Nick Nanton, Esq., is known as the Top Agent to Celebrity Experts around the world for his role in developing and marketing business and professional experts, through personal branding, media, marketing and PR. Nick is recognized as the nation’s leading expert on personal branding as Fast Company Magazine’s Expert Blogger on the subject and lectures regularly on the topic at major universities around the world. His book Celebrity Branding You®, while an easy and informative read, has also been used as a text book at the University level.

The CEO and Chief StoryTeller at The Dicks + Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency, an international agency with more than 1800 clients in 33 countries, Nick is an award winning director, producer and songwriter who has worked on everything from large scale events to television shows with the likes of Steve Forbes, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield (The Secret, Creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series), Michael E. Gerber, Tom Hopkins, Dan Kennedy and many more.

Nick is recognized as one of the top thought-leaders in the business world and has co-authored 29 best-selling books alongside Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Dan Kennedy, Dr. Ivan Misner (Founder of BNI), Jay Conrad Levinson (Author of the Guerilla Marketing Series), Super Agent Leigh Steinberg and many others, including the breakthrough hit Celebrity Branding You!®.

Nick has led the marketing and PR campaigns that have driven more than 1000 authors to Best-Seller status. Nick has been seen in USA Today, The Wall St. Journal, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, Entrepreneur® Magazine, Forbes, FastCompany.com. and has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX television affiliates around the country, as well as CNN, FOX News, CNBC, and MSNBC from coast to coast.

Nick is a member of the Florida Bar, holds a JD from the University Of Florida Levin College Of Law, as well as a BSBA in Finance from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. Nick is a voting member of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS, Home to The GRAMMYs), a member of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Home to the Emmy Awards) co-founder of the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors, a 16-time Telly Award winner, and spends his spare time working with Young Life, Downtown Credo Orlando, Entrepreneurs International and rooting for the Florida Gators with his wife Kristina and their three children, Brock, Bowen and Addison.

JW Dicks, is America’s foremost expert on personal branding for business development and the Business Agent® to top Celebrity Experts. He is an advisor to clients internationally and has created business development and marketing campaigns that have produced sales of over a billion dollars in products and services. He is a Best Selling author with over 29 business books to his credit and has co-authored with Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Tom Hopkins, Dr. Ivan Misner and Mari Smith.

JW is called the “Expert to the Experts” and has appeared and been quoted in such national media as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, Forbes.com, CNBC.Com, and Fortune Small business. His television appearances include ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates around the country. He is the resident branding expert for Fast Company’s internationally syndicated blog and is the editor and publisher of Celebrity Expert Insider, a monthly newsletter to experts worldwide. He produces and syndicates a line of franchised business television shows and received an Emmy nomination as Executive Producer of the documentary film Jacob’s Turn.

Celebrity Press is a business book publisher that publishes books from thought leaders around the world. Celebrity Press specializes in helping its authors grow their businesses through book publishing. Celebrity Press has published books alongside Brian Tracy, Dr. Ivan Misner, Ron Legrand, Mari Smith, Kelly O’Neil, Alexis Martin Neely and many of the biggest experts across diverse fields.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/news/personal-branding-experts-nick-nanton-and-jw-dicks-hit-amazon-best-seller-list-with-%e2%80%9cthink-and-grow-rich-today%e2%80%9d.php/feed0Personal Branding for Success: Five Benefits of a Powerful Personal Brandhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-for-success-five-benefits-of-a-powerful-personal-brand.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-for-success-five-benefits-of-a-powerful-personal-brand.php#respondThu, 25 Jul 2013 18:13:11 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5239We have talked a whole lot about personal branding in these articles and on our blog. We have talked about branding strategy. We have talked about practical steps for creating a powerful brand. We have even looked at “hits and misses” from celebrities and public figures in order to gain insight into what to do, and what NOT to do, when it comes to branding.

Today, we are going to take a different approach and highlight several practical benefits of a strong brand. As we have discussed, an effective personal brand positions a business owner as a credible expert and a celebrity within his or her market – a CelebrityExpert®. And below are five benefits that you can expect from such a brand. A strong personal brand will lead to…

1) More demand from consumers. As I’ve written before, when given the choice, people prefer to do business with a recognized expert. Imagine you’ve just moved to a new town and one of your children begins experiencing severe tooth pain. You have to find a new dentist, and quickly. If there are a number of options but one of them is a recognized expert, a published author, and frequently appears on TV… isn’t he or she going to be your first choice? All other things being equal, I know I’m going to choose that dentist 100% of the time… aren’t you?

2) The ability to charge higher prices. Higher demand and greater credibility gives you the ability to charge more money and still win the business. We just examined the appeal of a strong celebrity brand, and it’s natural that consumers are willing to pay more in order to work with a recognized expert. This improves your profit margin and the overall financial health of your business!

3) Increased customer loyalty. In addition to bringing in new business, a CelebrityExpert® brand makes it easier to retain your current clientele. It’s a comforting feeling to know that you are dealing with the “best” – whether you’re a dentist, a lawyer, an accountant, a landscaper, a realtor, and so forth. As long as you continue to provide great service, your customers are going to be more loyal than ever.

4) More referrals from professionals. When professionals need to refer their client to someone else with a different area of expertise, credibility is a primary concern. The last thing the professional can afford to do is refer a client to a business that isn’t credible. A strong personal brand makes it easy for professionals to feel great about sending business your way.

5) Less direct competition. Finally, a strong, focused brand makes it very difficult for the competition. Even if they offer products or services that are very similar to yours, without the CelebrityExpert® brand, they are at a significant disadvantage.

As you can see, personal branding isn’t just a trend or a “box” that must be checked off—a powerful brand can be a game changer for a business. If you’d like to learn more, get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-for-success-five-benefits-of-a-powerful-personal-brand.php/feed0Personal Branding: Five Simple Ways to Enhance Your Celebrity Statushttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-five-simple-ways-to-enhance-your-celebrity-status.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-five-simple-ways-to-enhance-your-celebrity-status.php#respondThu, 20 Jun 2013 16:06:20 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5168If you have been reading this blog regularly, you know how valuable it is to build a brand that establishes you as a CelebrityExpert® within your market. Developing your Celebrity status will help you bring in more business, allow you to charge higher rates, and make it easier to retain clients and customers. We’ve spent a great deal of time discussing strategies to develop such a personal brand, and today we’re going to cover five simple tactics that you can put in place to help you enhance your Celebrity status.

1) Make the right impression with a strong business card. Your business card plays an important role in formulating the first impression that you create. So it’s important that your card positions you in the right light. That doesn’t necessarily mean a card that is flashy or dramatic—but your business card should represent the brand you’re building.

2) Demonstrate your knowledge via social media. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook give you the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise to the world. Share articles that are relevant to your audience. Provide insight and analysis of breaking news concerning your market. This approach provides value to your audience while reinforcing your expertise at the same time.

3) Use your email signature to build your brand. Many of you send hundreds of emails each week. So why not brand this interaction, each and every time? You can do this with your email signature, which should summarize your points of differentiation while reinforcing your brand. Include a logo as well, if possible.

4) Dress the part. If you’re branding yourself as a high-powered lawyer, showing up in a badly worn suit that hasn’t been dry-cleaned in a month won’t work. Similarly, if your brand is a personable, friendly, laid-back retirement advisor, the flashy suit doesn’t fit. Dress appropriately for the brand you are developing!

5) Donate your expertise. Finally, one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise and reinforce your brand is to find causes or charities to get involved in. This gives you the opportunity to utilize your abilities while working for a great cause at the same time. One way many of our clients have done this is by embracing the Entrepreneurs International Foundation, and I couldn’t be any prouder or more grateful!
Questions or comments? Please contact me or any of the Agents at our Agency to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-five-simple-ways-to-enhance-your-celebrity-status.php/feed0Personal Branding: What to Do When Things Go Wronghttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-what-to-do-when-things-go-wrong.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-what-to-do-when-things-go-wrong.php#respondTue, 28 May 2013 08:11:38 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5115Every one of us makes mistakes. This is certainly true in the world of business. As hard as we try to do right by our customers, things go wrong from time to time. Sometimes it is a relatively small thing—like a defective product or a shipping delay. Sometimes it is a much bigger deal – an employee makes an inappropriate statement that is picked up by the press, or an error while filing taxes turns into an embarrassing public affair.

These events impact the brand of the business and the individual in question—and unfortunately, not in a good way. So how should you respond when something goes wrong? Below are five principles to keep in mind as you seek to maintain a strong, appealing brand even when things aren’t going well.

1) Acknowledge the problem. Burying your head in the sand won’t work. If you’ve made a mistake, address it. As they say, the first step to overcoming a problem is admitting that you are facing the problem to begin with. Don’t make the matter worse by pretending that “all is well” when it isn’t.

2) Apologize if necessary. Once you have acknowledged that there is a problem, apologize to whoever was adversely impacted. It may be a single customer. It may be your employees. It may be your customer base. Heck, it could even be your town in the event of a catastrophic event like a chemical spill. Bottom line… if you’re at fault, come clean and apologize.

3) Identify what went wrong and make corrections. Make sure that this failure or mistake is not wasted. In other words, learn something from it so that you don’t repeat your mistake. It might be re-training your employees, it might mean a new marketing campaign, or it might be changing your entire business model. Take whatever action is necessary to avoid repeating your errors. Depending on the situation, it’s usually a good idea to let whomever was adversely affected know that you’re taking steps to avoid a repeat.

4) Change the conversation. Once you’ve acknowledged the problem, apologized, and taken steps to avoid a repeat… it’s time to move on! Allowing the conversation to dwell on the mistakes made in the past will only weaken your brand. So look for an opportunity to change the subject. Offer a great new promotion. Launch a new location. Write a book. Shoot a video. The options are endless—find an exciting way to change the subject and get your audience re-focused on the positive elements of your brand.

5) Continue to focus on relationships. I have said many times that “people buy people” and that investing in relationships is a critical marketing strategy. This is especially true when it comes to crisis management. If you’ve built strong relationships with your customers, employees, vendors, and your community, you can afford to weather tough times. The strength of these relationships means that it will be much easier for these people to “forgive and forget.” So continue to invest in strong relationships!

Nobody is perfect— we all make mistakes. How you respond to mistakes can determine the fate of your brand and ultimately your business. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-what-to-do-when-things-go-wrong.php/feed0Every Entrepreneur’s Biggest Mistake (And How To Avoid It!)https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/every-entrepreneurs-biggest-mistake-and-how-to-avoid-it.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/every-entrepreneurs-biggest-mistake-and-how-to-avoid-it.php#respondWed, 22 May 2013 12:09:25 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5111This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Every Entrepreneur’s Biggest Mistake (And How To Avoid It!)

In 2006, Salemi Industries thought they had a surefire moneymaking product. It was something totally new that (a) had an obvious need and (b) could be sold worldwide. Anthony Ferranti, the man behind the innovative product, had noticed that with the widespread usage of cell phones in public areas, callers needed a private place to have their conversations–and to not disturb others in, say, a restaurant. So he decided to create a solution.

That solution was his invention of what he called “The Cell Zone”, a large plastic pod that he saw as the modern equivalent of the phone booth. You could step into The Cell Zone and have a perfectly private talk without being bothered and without bothering anyone else. The early signs were good–The Cell Zone proved to be a sensation at that year’s Restaurant Show, where eatery owners expressed enormous enthusiasm for the product.

Now guess how many Cell Zones the company ended up selling? You might have an idea since you’ve probably never heard of it or seen one. The company ended up selling less than 300, and losing close to $650,000 in the process. Turned out restaurants didn’t care for the price ($3,500) and they didn’t want to give up the square footage to accommodate the privacy pods.

The moral of this particular story? You can have what you think is an awesome product with the greatest potential in the world–and still fall flat on your face. And here’s why: because, before you put everything into perfecting whatever it is you want to offer, you never tried to actually sell it.

Recently, the Harvard Business Review published an article in which they surveyed 120 entrepreneurs from all around the world to ask them what their biggest mistake had been with a product or service launch. The number one answer of more than half of these business leaders? They didn’t try to sell it early enough. To quote one of those entrepreneurs, “Don’t make anything until you sell it. Get people really interested in buying it before you invest too much time and effort.”

Here are a few tips on how to presell your launch, so you can know whether it’s worth moving forward, or whether you need to either change it up or drop it altogether:

Beware of the Bubble!

Another regret expressed by many of the entrepreneurs surveyed by the Harvard Business Review was that they let themselves be swayed by initial sales to friends and family. These kinds of people obviously want to support you and, if the investment isn’t too big, will happily buy your product. You can also end up depending too much on your staff or co-workers’ enthusiasm for something new you want to bring to market. Again, they want to believe in what you’re doing and often won’t give you a truthful impression of what’s waiting for you in the cold, unforgiving marketplace. So don’t rely on the opinions of those in your “bubble”–survey others who don’t really have a reason to prop up your new product with manufactured praise.

Co-Create With Your Potential Customers

Today, more than ever, buyers want to feel involved with what they purchase and use–and they want to know that the seller is listening to what they have to say. That’s why increasingly the concept of co-creation, involving consumers in the actual development of a product or service, is becoming a dominant business approach. Francis Gouillart, author of The Power of Co-Creation: Build It With Them to Boost Growth, Productivity, and Profits, says a great deal of today’s R&D is being done through social media. “Social media has liberated social forces…What used to be a fairly isolated political process has become a form of business,” says Gouillart.

Try Out Your Sales “Story”

We’ve written frequently about the concept of StorySelling–and, as a matter of fact, we have a whole book on the subject coming out this summer. That’s why we believe it’s crucial to see if you have a powerful enough story to tell about your new product or service–one that will convert a prospect into a buyer. For example, we will frequently discuss with a few key clients a new service we’re thinking about providing, to make sure people like them would actually want to pay for the value it would bring to their business. And they are able to do the same thing, because we provide them with a platform to share new ideas through different channels of media–print, television, radio, blogs, and books–which enables them to gauge reaction and see what sparks excitement.

Of course, some products just aren’t destined to be successes–celery-flavored Jellois one that comes to mind! But if you take the time and put as much effort into your selling as you do into your product development, you’ll have the advantage of knowing whether your new offering can really take off from the launching pad!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/every-entrepreneurs-biggest-mistake-and-how-to-avoid-it.php/feed0Personal Branding: Confidence is Key to Making a Great First Impressionhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-confidence-is-key-to-making-a-great-first-impression.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-confidence-is-key-to-making-a-great-first-impression.php#respondFri, 17 May 2013 08:18:26 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5060Creating a strong first impression is important when it comes to creating a strong personal brand. The first impression you give sticks in the mind of the people you meet—for better or for worse. And one of the most important things you can do to create a powerful first impression is to project confidence.

But this is often easier said than done. I have worked with plenty of business owners who struggled to project confidence—even though they were very successful and highly intelligent individuals. Here’s a secret: you don’t have to actually be confident to project confidence. And oddly enough, training yourself to project confidence even when you don’t feel it will often help you become more confident. (You’ve heard the expression “fake it ‘til you make it.”)

As somebody who often speaks in front of large audiences and interacts with world-class entertainers and business leaders, I’ve had to develop my sense of confidence as well. And to help you make the same journey, I’d like to share three tips to help you project confidence so that you can make a stronger first impression and create a more powerful personal brand:

1) Turn off your “internal critic.” We all have our own personal internal critic… he (or she) lives in our head. The internal critic is quick to point out flaws and criticize plans. “They won’t take you seriously.” “They’ll think you’re an idiot.” “YOU could never pull that off.” The amazing thing is that the people you interact with are rarely (if ever) as critical of you as you are of yourself. So stop being your own worst critic.

2) Recognize your own expertise. You’re great at what you do. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be running a successful business. Take some time to think about what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve learned. Embrace the reality that you are great at what you do, and that others can benefit from your perspective. Of course, there’s a line between confidence and cockiness that you definitely don’t want to cross. Stay humble! You can be secure in your own abilities without being a show-off.

3) Use body language. Finally, use body language to convey confidence whether you feel it or not. Start with a strong handshake. Speak slowly and clearly. Look your conversation partners in the eye. Sit up straight, keep your shoulders straight. This is all review—but it’s easy to forget, and it’s important!

Confidence is key to creating a great first impression and to building a strong personal brand. If you’re not as confident as you should be, I hope that you’ll find these tips to be helpful. And remember, if you have to… fake it ‘til you make it!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-confidence-is-key-to-making-a-great-first-impression.php/feed0Personal Branding: Don’t Be Afraid to Shake Up Your Markethttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-dont-be-afraid-to-shake-up-your-market.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-dont-be-afraid-to-shake-up-your-market.php#respondFri, 26 Apr 2013 08:33:06 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5023Many of the business owners that I work with are low-key and don’t love the spotlight. And most of them don’t like the idea of creating controversy.

But sometimes, as I tell them, generating a bit of controversy can be exactly what your brand needs. Now, I’m not talking about just any type of controversy. I’m talking about going against the grain—providing value to your customers in ways that your competitors aren’t.

Think about the way Apple revolutionized the mp3 player market in the early 2000’s, and the then again the smart phone market a few years later. Customers loved Apple products, but their competitors certainly didn’t. Steve Jobs wasn’t afraid to shake up his market and put real pressure on the competition. The result speaks for itself.

You may not be an international corporation, but the point still stands. You shouldn’t be afraid to shake up your market and generate some controversy—whether it’s through an aggressive marketing campaign, a new approach to the services you provide, or by introducing a brand-new business model.

But it is true that the wrong kind of controversy can have negative consequences on your brand and your business. So keep these four points in mind:

1) Don’t be disrespectful. It is one thing to be bold and clear while promoting your products and services, and while contrasting them against the competition. It’s another thing entirely to disrespect and bad-mouth the competition in your market. While this approach may generate attention and even perhaps lead to a short-term spike in sales, it’s a bad long-term strategy. Treat your competitors with the respect that you would like to be treated with.

2) Make sure you have done your homework. If you are preparing to “shake up” your market with a new product, a new service, a new marketing campaign, or whatever… ask yourself this question: “why hasn’t anyone else done it this way?” It may be that nobody else has ever thought of the idea. But there may be other reasons – such as legal liability or other unforeseen consequences. If you’re going to take a bold step, you’re going to attract attention, so make sure you have “dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s.

3) Be prepared for the backlash. The better your innovation, the less your competitors are going to like it. So be prepared. I’ve had clients that have introduced incredible new services to their marketplace, and immediately had their competition gang up against them in an effort to defend the status quo. Don’t let this surprise you.

4) Never lose focus on providing value. This is the key. Controversy for controversy’s sake isn’t a winning strategy. But if the innovation you are introducing increases the value of your products or services to your marketplace, you’re going in the right direction. Run every decision through the filter of “does this increase the value we can offer to our customers?”

At the end of the day, your job as a business owner is to provide a superior experience to your customers and your marketplace. And if you have to shake things up in order to get your message out, don’t back down. Be bold, be clear, and get the word out. Feel free to get in touch with me or with any of the Agents at the Agency if you’d like to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-dont-be-afraid-to-shake-up-your-market.php/feed0Boost Your Personal Brand… in Ten Minutes or Lesshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/boost-your-personal-brand-in-ten-minutes-or-less.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/boost-your-personal-brand-in-ten-minutes-or-less.php#respondWed, 17 Apr 2013 08:58:33 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=5004I talk to a lot of business owners every year. Between speeches, seminars, conferences, and similar events, I am blessed to have the opportunity to get to know business owners from all over the country in a wide variety of industries.

And over time, I have come to identify a number of common “themes” that business owners often use during our conversations.

One of the most common is something like this… “Nick, I really like what you have to say about personal branding – I just don’t have the time.” So today, I’m going to cover several steps you can take to strengthen your personal brand without spending much time at it.

1) When you meet with a client, tell a story. The best way to communicate your personal brand is through a story. This is true no matter what channel you are using – social media, TV, a book, whatever. If you can tell a story that reflects your expertise and reinforces your brand, it will stick in the mind of your audience much more effectively than simply rattling off a list of accomplishments. The next time you’re meeting with a client, try to work in a story!

2) Upgrade your email signature. Many of you send hundreds of emails per week. Your email signature is an opportunity to broadcast your brand repeatedly. At the least, make sure it includes a brief summary of what you do. Consider including your logo and other branding as well.

3) Tweet something personal – a joke, a recap of your latest adventure, an inspiring quote, or even an article you found helpful. Many business owners are intimidated by Twitter and social media in general. They often feel that it simply demands too much time. But if you can make a habit of creating a short post once or twice each week, it will help you “get the word out” to your audience. If even this sounds like too much, you can also delegate to your team.

Obviously, this short list is only a starting point. The truth is that you can create a powerful brand without spending a huge amount of time each week—and I hope these suggestions will help get your wheels turning. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch with me or with any of the Agents at our Agency!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/boost-your-personal-brand-in-ten-minutes-or-less.php/feed0The Critic, The Mouseketeer, And The Iron Lady: Three Giants In Personal Brandinghttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-critic-the-mouseketeer-and-the-iron-lady-three-giants-in-personal-branding.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-critic-the-mouseketeer-and-the-iron-lady-three-giants-in-personal-branding.php#respondTue, 16 Apr 2013 12:57:44 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4996This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: The Critic, The Mouseketeer, And The Iron Lady: Three Giants In Personal Branding

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Recently, the world mourned the passing of three very different and unique personalities–Margaret Thatcher, Annette Funicello, and Roger Ebert. Each member of this high-powered trio left a mark on those who loved and admired them. They also enjoyed fame for the vast majority of their lifetimes, and all three were even the subjects of movies (Meryl Streep won an Oscar last year for her portrayal of Thatcher inThe Iron Lady, Funicello had a highly rated TV movie produced about her life, and Ebert is the subject of the documentary Life Itself, which is yet to be finished).

But beyond that, you wouldn’t think they had much in common. These were not three people you would expect to see in the same room, let alone the same sentence. Think about their widely diverse careers:

These three each had a personal brand that the years never diminished. We think it’s instructional to look at why these three names endured–and will continue to endure–when so many others have faded into obscurity.

Authenticity

We’ve written often about how authenticity is probably the most important trait for a personal brand to have, and these three had it in spades. Of all the criticisms that might be launched at them, “phony” is one that would never make the cut. They were invariably true to themselves, no matter how fashions, trends, or politics changed.

When that level of authenticity is firmly in place, a public figure will always continue to pick up followers rather than lose them. All of us encounter so many less-than-genuine people who, depending on what situation they find themselves in, present an array of different faces, that it’s a breath of fresh air to encounter those who stick to their guns.

When you’re consistent with your words and actions, you never disappoint those who already admire you and you end up earning the respect of the rest. Inconsistency, in contrast, creates a blurry personal brand that people have difficulty getting excited about.

Courage

Now, courage isn’t usually a trait we ascribe to a personal brand, but these three people in particular definitely make us think twice about that omission. We were being a little coy earlier when we said these three had nothing in common besides their fame. The fact is that all three battled long-term debilitating diseases; Thatcher withAlzheimer’s, Ebert with cancer, and Funicello for over 20 years with multiple sclerosis. The courage displayed in those battles made us admire these people even more and feel more bonded to them as well.

How someone deals with tragedy can define that person more than how they deal with triumph. In the case of these three, particularly Ebert and Funicello who were able to deal with their afflictions more publicly, their stature actually grew as a result of the health difficulties they found themselves having to deal with. Their struggles were inspirational, not only to those who shared these diseases, but to those of us who just couldn’t help admiring how they faced their fates with openness and a positive attitude.

Now, underpinning all three attributes we just described was one more invaluable asset–strength. Every successful personal brand has it, as did these three. They not only set the mark for how to create an enduring personal brand, but also on how to live a life.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-critic-the-mouseketeer-and-the-iron-lady-three-giants-in-personal-branding.php/feed0The Kanye And Kim Kardashian Lesson In Personal Branding: Combining Audiences For Impacthttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-kanye-and-kim-kardashian-lesson-in-personal-branding-combining-audiences-for-impact.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-kanye-and-kim-kardashian-lesson-in-personal-branding-combining-audiences-for-impact.php#respondWed, 27 Mar 2013 18:22:46 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4927This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: The Kanye And Kim Kardashian Lesson In Personal Branding: Combining Audiences For Impact

Keeping all that in mind, you might think Kanye’s days as a mainstream celebrity are over. And yet, who do you continually see in online gossip headlines, as well as entertainment TV shows? Kanye West. And why? Because, of course, he’s dating Kim Kardashian.

To say Kanye and Kim have different followings is to understate the obvious. The former has a pack of fervent music fans, the latter has a huge reality TV base. If one were to be cynical, one would say they only got together to grow their respective audiences–by tapping into each other’s celebrity status to burnish their own. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

Actually, it’s a time-honored tactic in show business to team up to increase the popularity of both parties. Think about two of 2012’s biggest hits, The Avengers and The Expendables 2. Both realized a lot more box office profits simply because a whole lot of popular heroes were together for the first time ever and their fans came together in movie theaters as well.

And, by the way, it happens in politics too. Recently, ultra-liberal Democrat Cory Bookerteamed up with ultra-conservative Republican Bill Frist to make national appearances for the cause of anti-obesity. Whether these two are both seeking to raise their profiles or are genuinely concerned about this issue (or, most likely, both), it’s clear they got together to make the biggest impact possible–by combining their very separate audiences to dramatic effect.

This works for business branding purposes as well. When you partner up with the right person–someone who has their own strong following and/or unique talents–the combination usually packs more power than each individual has on his or her own. Even more importantly, you also get access to that person’s specific audience.

For example, we’re honored to be able to work on book and TV projects with such marketing and business heavyweights as Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy and Jack Canfield. But it’s good business for all concerned, because these greats get renewed exposure to our network in a whole new context–and our network, naturally, feels privileged to work with these legendary figures.

So think about who you can partner up with on a new project or business that could bring your product or service to a whole new audience–namely, somebody else’s. And keep in mind the following guidelines, suggested by Entrepreneur magazine, when you start searching for the right someone to join forces with:

1. Do they share your values?
If you and/or your business represent certain values, you don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t have the same affinity with those values–or, worse, openly contradicts them. You not only risk angering your base, you also risk undermining your whole business! The only exception to this rule is when, like Frist and Booker, you come together to support a cause bigger than the both of you.

2. Do they complement you and your business?
You don’t want to work with someone who does the exact same thing as you; you want to work with someone who has skills and assets that complement yours. Otherwise, that person could steal your thunder and your business. When you work with people that bring something new to the party, however, they make you look like you’re bringing added value to your customers.

3. Do they help you do your business better?
Sometimes a partner can actually fill in a critical hole in your business, such as improve your delivery system or offer a useful product extension of what you already provide. This isn’t an absolute necessity when it comes to choosing who you work with–but it is a definite plus to be on the lookout for.

4. Will both of you benefit?
When a partnership is unbalanced in this department, things have the potential to turn ugly. Resentments build quickly over one person feeling like they’re getting merely breadcrumbs, while the other is gorging on a loaf and a half. Both of you should know, going in, how this joint venture is going to do good things for each party–otherwise, you’re most likely headed for an unpleasant ending.

Celebrity Branding almost always benefits when more than one celebrity is involved. When you pick the right partner, you increase your credibility, your fan base and your star power. But there is one catch–and that’s that two negatives do not make a positive.

For example, while Kanye and Kim may have made a big media splash when they hooked up, they may have also inadvertently increased their number of individual haters. Why? Becausethey both have huge negative ‘Q’ Scores (the measurement of celebrity likeability), leading some news commentators to speculate as to whether they may actually have created the most toxic couple of all time!

So double up–not down–and double your success in the process. All it takes is the right partner to expand your market base and your influence.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-kanye-and-kim-kardashian-lesson-in-personal-branding-combining-audiences-for-impact.php/feed0Personal Branding: How Video Can Take Your Brand to the Next Levelhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-how-video-can-take-your-brand-to-the-next-level.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-how-video-can-take-your-brand-to-the-next-level.php#respondMon, 25 Mar 2013 08:10:31 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4904We’ve discussed a number of tactics and platforms that business owners can use successfully to create and strengthen their personal brand. From appearing on TV to writing a book to leveraging social media, there are a wide variety of options for business owners and professionals looking to increase their visibility and their credibility. Today, we’re going to talk about a specific platform that is growing in popularity and in effectiveness: video.

Well branded, well produced video content is very effective when it comes to personal branding. Below are four specific reasons why this is the case.

1) Video allows you to establish a “personal” connection with your audience. While there’s nothing like shaking hands and looking someone directly in the face in order to establish a relationship, video is the next best thing. Unlike reading a book or interacting on social media, video gives the viewer the opportunity to watch your facial expressions, listen to your voice, and pick up on your body language. As a business owner, video gives you the opportunity to “connect” with your audience quickly and effectively.

2) Video allows you to clearly demonstrate your expertise. In addition to establishing a relationship, video also offers the opportunity for you to speak authoritatively on your area of expertise. It gives you the opportunity to answer common questions and concerns that your target market may have. It offers a platform for you to provide insight and analysis on issues of interest to your audience. The net result is that your audience walks with helpful information relating to their needs—and with the perception of yourself as a CelebrityExpert® firmly planted in their mind.

3) Video allows you to establish your credibility and position within the marketplace. Forget for a moment what you say or do in the video. Forget the substance. Just by appearing in a well produced video and by looking the part of an industry expert, you’ve already sent a powerful message. You’ve established yourself as a leading expert in your field. Combine first-class production and an impressive appearance with substantive content that showcases your expertise and you’re guaranteed to make a powerful impression on your audience. The key, of course, is that you need to invest the time and resources to create a video that looks highly professional. You’re a CelebrityExpert®– and your video needs to reinforce that brand!

4) Video allows you to reach a larger audience. Finally, video allows you to reach and engage a large audience. On leading social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, video has proven to be one of the most effective means for engaging followers and fans. Simply by posting your video on these sites and other social sites such as LinkedIn, you can reach and engage a huge audience—increasing your exposure while also boosting your credibility and developing your brand.

Video is a tremendously effective tool for creating and strengthening your personal brand… and your CelebrityExpert® status. If you’d like to learn more, or if you’d like help getting started with your video strategy, please get in touch with me or any of the agents at our agency today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-how-video-can-take-your-brand-to-the-next-level.php/feed0Personal Branding: Be a Giver, Not a Takerhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-be-a-giver-not-a-taker.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-be-a-giver-not-a-taker.php#respondTue, 19 Mar 2013 16:24:06 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4892The legendary motivational speaker Zig Ziglar used to say that “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

He was right—but you wouldn’t know that by the way much of our culture operates today, especially in business. Businesses and professionals often seem to approach those around them with a “what can I get out of this” mentality.

What does this have to do with personal branding?

Personal branding is all about defining and communicating your personality, your abilities, and your strengths. Establishing yourself as talented, intelligent, experienced, and so on is very important. But I’d like to challenge you to add something else to the brand you are creating: brand yourself as a giver. As someone who looks for opportunities to help others get what they want. If Zig Ziglar was right (and I believe that he was), this will ensure your own success as well.

Practically, here are several ways to become a “giver” and build your brand at the same time.

Connect people. Sometimes, all it takes is a brief introduction to solve two problems at once – An employer or individual looking for an employee or a partner, and another individual looking for an opportunity. Look for opportunities to connect people- they’ll appreciate it!

Lend a hand to a good cause. Look for an opportunity to contribute to a local cause or charity. It doesn’t have to be financial – donate your time to a good cause, and encourage your staff to do the same. Investing back into the community is the right thing to do, and it also improves your visibility. Many of our clients have led the way on this issue—all of the authors that we help publish have agreed to donate their royalties to Entrepreneurs International, and we were proud to be a part of a “Mission for Good” trip to benefit an orphanage in Mexico along with several clients.

Speak at local schools. Speaking at a school or a college is a great way to encourage and equip students while building your own brand at the same time. It’s also very rewarding – speaking at the University of Florida (my alma mater) is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Looking for opportunities to give, rather than to get, may seem counterintuitive—especially in business. But it’s the right thing to do, it’s good for your personal brand, and it’s good for your business!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-be-a-giver-not-a-taker.php/feed0Personal Branding 101: How to Tell a Better “Story”https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-how-to-tell-a-better-story.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-how-to-tell-a-better-story.php#respondTue, 05 Mar 2013 19:52:55 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4811As I’ve written before, one of the most important elements to creating a strong personal brand is learning to tell a compelling story. Storytelling is what brings your brand to life, and instead of being “just another business owner”, all of a sudden you become compelling to your audience.

This is a secret that virtually every successful brand has embraced. Nike doesn’t just sell shoes and shirts—they turn their customers into winners. Coca-cola isn’t just a drink—it’s an attitude, fun-loving and community oriented. Steve Jobs wasn’t just a brilliant engineer—he came to stand for innovation, vision, and of course black turtlenecks.

The ability of a brand to grow beyond just the products and services they sell is a major determining factor into the success or failure of that brand. This is true of global organizations and small businesses alike. And it’s true for you.

As I explain this point to clients and friends, the most common response is something like “but Nick… I don’t have a story to tell. I’m just a realtor.” (Or an investment advisor, or a CPA, or a dentist, etc.)

And my response is always “yes you DO have a story to tell. We just have to find it.”

Today, we’re going to discuss how to find (or create) that story. Below are several ideas.

1) Always highlight the benefits of what you do, not the features. Chances are, the actual products and services you sell aren’t that exciting. If that is what you focus on, it’s hard to create a compelling story. Instead, focus on the benefits. You’re not a stockbroker, you’re building a brighter financial future. My business doesn’t just do PR and marketing… we create celebrities. See the difference?

2) Highlight your impact on the community. Another great way to tell a compelling story is to show your audience what you’re doing to help the community. Launching an initiative to support local schools, or something similar, makes it easy for your audience to “buy in” to the story you’re telling.

3) Work your personality into your brand. Even if your business isn’t unique, you still can be. There are lots of wealthy real estate investors, but Donald Trump’s outlandish personality has put him in an entirely different category. Look for ways to incorporate your personality into your brand—along with your hobbies and your passions.

4) Set an ambitious goal. Sometimes, publically setting an ambitious goal can be very effective in terms of creating an appealing story. For instance, you could state that your goal is to sell a specific number of products this year, or have your product featured in a major magazine. Even better, you could combine this goal with a community initiative so that you’re working towards a great cause.

The key to creating an appealing and effective personality brand is to find the right story to tell. And I promise you, you DO have a story to tell. If you’d like some help identifying and communicating that story, please get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-how-to-tell-a-better-story.php/feed0Branding 101: How Will the American Airlines – US Airways Merger Play Out?https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/branding-101-how-will-the-american-airlines-us-airways-merger-play-out.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/branding-101-how-will-the-american-airlines-us-airways-merger-play-out.php#respondWed, 27 Feb 2013 16:13:14 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4781The business world has been buzzing since the announcement of a major merger between US Airways and American Airlines earlier this month. As a frequent flyer, I can testify that this story got my attention too!

Obviously, a merger of this scale is enormously complex. And one of the many factors that must be carefully managed is the customer experience that will be provided. This is no small challenge when you’re dealing with businesses of this size—particularly in an industry where customer service is often suspect.

A recent article on Forbes.com previews these challenges and offers some suggested areas of focus for the airlines. I think that many of these principles could be applied to your business, as well. Take a look:

Setting and then keeping new public performance benchmarks. The new airline could establish targets — on-time, satisfaction — and launch new ways to not only narrate its efforts but new incentives for its operations to meet them.

Committing to customer benefits. Do you understand the rules for what an airline does when weather cancels your flight? American could specify the principles for how it treats (and charges) its passengers and thereby change the industry. What differentiates its loyalty programs? What isn’t an extra charge?

Creating communities for real participation. The new airline could forsake Facebook pages and other silly social media marketing stunts, and involve its passengers in real communities to test systems, programs, processes, etc. Make us all co-operators.

Fixing employee relations first and always. American, like any airline, is in the service business, and the biggest (if not only) variable in its delivery are its employees. Making sure they were happy and impassioned would differentiate the brand. Make the commitment to them, and then tell us, too.

Guaranteeing what will never change. Financial circumstances are always changing and can be used to legitimize many corporate behaviors. Which ones will the new American never forsake (leadership on safety is one, of course)? Again, declare them.

I would summarize these ideas as follows:

Set and meet high standards.

Communicate clearly with your customers—and keep your promises.

Engage customers and build community.

Invest into employees so that they in turn invest into customers.

Commit to the core of the brand—i.e., what makes you unique.

In addition to being good advice for airlines, these ideas would benefit most of our businesses as well. At the end of the day, every business owner wants what US Airways and American Airlines want: to build a brand that stands for excellence and an exceptional customer experience. Keep these principles in mind and you’ll be well on your way!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/branding-101-how-will-the-american-airlines-us-airways-merger-play-out.php/feed0Your Customer Compass: Are You Headed in the Right Direction?https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/taking-direction-from-disneys-customer-care-philosophy.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/taking-direction-from-disneys-customer-care-philosophy.php#respondMon, 11 Feb 2013 15:45:19 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4757This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Taking Direction From Disney’s Customer-Care Philosophy

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Last month, we held our first Celebrity Expert Marketing Academy. And, because our Dicks + Nanton Agency is located in Orlando, we knew we didn’t have to travel far to give our clients the best (and most productive) experience possible. We just took them all over to our neighbor’s place, which has plenty of room.

And we’re not kidding when we say that. It covers over 30,000 acres and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 24 themed resorts, two spas and fitness centers, and five golf courses.

Our neighbor, of course, is Disney World, the world’s most visited entertainment resort. And, no, we didn’t go there to ride the flying elephants at the Dumbo ride (we have plenty of time to do that on our own). Instead, we went with our clients to learn some of the special secrets that have made Disney the incredible success it’s been for over 80 years. Fortunately, the corporation has set up The Disney Institute to enable all of us not wearing mouse ears to get some inside business tips.

Many of those tips focus on providing the customer with the best experience possible. The fact is that Disney’s customer service is the gold standard for every business–because their management understands that if you don’t treat your paying patrons as you should, you’re going in the wrong direction.

So let’s talk about how to go in the right direction–with the help of a very special compass.

Walt Disney evidently loved compasses. You’ll find what’s called the “Compass Rose” in front of the walking area in front of and in back of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Not only that, but it was Compass East Corporation that began buying land in the Orlando area in the mid-1960s. That company was a cover for the Disney organization, which was snatching up property left and right for what would become Disney World; they hid their name from the transactions because, of course, sellers would have demanded more than the fair market price if they had known who was really after the transaction.

The compass, to this day, figures prominently in the Disney philosophy of customer service. For instance, we learned about the four points of The Disney Compass when it comes to how to treat a customer (an area of study Disney calls Guestology). We’d like to share these four profitable and productive directions with you here:

N – Needs
W – Wants
S – Stereotypes
E – Emotions

Let’s take these in turn and see how they impact your relationships with your clients or customers.

When we discuss a customer’s needs, we’re talking about the basics. If a person goes to the doctor, they might “need” medicine to get well. If someone goes to a CPA, they might “need” someone to do their taxes. It’s about meeting the minimum requirements of your business, whatever they might be.

Wants allow you the opportunity to kick it up a notch or two. For example, the person going to the CPA may also “want” new strategies to save on their taxes. When you provide that extra optional level of service, you differentiate yourself and give people more reason to come back to you, as well as refer you to other people.

Stereotypes require you to overcome negative impressions a customer might have of you or your business. For example, a stereotype of doctors might be that they only care about money and don’t care how long they make you cool your heels in the waiting area. If you are an MD, you can overcome that stereotype by attempting to minimize a patient’s waiting time and maximizing the one-on-one consultation time with you.

Finally, it’s common knowledge that emotions are often more powerful than logic when it comes to buying decisions. That’s why it’s always important to tap into what makes your customers or clients feel good about buying from you and focus on that in your delivery and fulfillment systems.

The Disney Institute is full of simple concepts like the above that enable you to bring a clear, yet sophisticated approach to doing business in the best possible way. We love to deliver those kinds of concepts to our clients (as well as ourselves, because we find they work like gangbusters), and we’re happy to share this one with you here.

With that in mind, we’ll leave you with seven more big ideas from seven rather small guys that will enable you to serve your clientele at the highest level possible.

1. Be Happy…make eye contact and smile!

2. Be like Sneezy…greet and welcome each and every client. Spread the spirit of Hospitality…it’s contagious!

6. Be like Sleepy…create dreams and preserve the magical client experience.

7. Don’t be Dopey…thank each and every customer!

Keep those seven principles in mind and you’re sure to dwarf the competition.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/taking-direction-from-disneys-customer-care-philosophy.php/feed0Personal Branding: Why It’s Worth Your Timehttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-why-its-worth-your-time.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-why-its-worth-your-time.php#respondMon, 28 Jan 2013 08:18:17 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4738We talk about personal branding strategies regularly in this space. But every once in a while, it’s a good idea to remind ourselves why we’re working so hard to build a strong brand. The payoff, if you will. Below are some of the primary benefits of a powerful personal brand:

Instant credibility. If you’re an accountant, for instance, the last thing you want to do every time you come in contact with a potential client is have to convince them of your expertise. If you’ve built your personal brand right, you’ll be seen as an expert before you even meet. Your website, your staff, your marketing materials… everything works together to position you as the expert in your area of practice—so by the time you meet a client in person, your expert status is unquestioned. This is also important when it comes to referrals—other professionals don’t want to refer their clients to anyone but the best. A strong personal brand makes it clear that you are the go-to expert.

Stand out in the mind of clients and referral sources. A strong personal brand creates a memorable persona and helps you stand out in the minds of your audience. Whether it’s your intensity, your sense of humor, even the décor of your office—a strong personal brand stands out in the mind of everyone who encounters it. Such top-of-mind awareness is invaluable—it will result in more referrals and highly loyal clients.

Command a premium price. If your car breaks down, you’re willing to pay a premium to have a highly qualified mechanic take a look at it. You’ll pay more for entrepreneurial advice from an established expert like Dan Kennedy than you will for advice from your father-in-law. That’s just a reality. Your personal brand creates a perception of yourself as an expert, and it puts you in position to command a premium price.

At the end of the day, a strong personal brand will result in more leads, more business, and the ability to charge premium rates. It’s one of the best investments you can make. If you’d like to learn more, or if you need some help getting started, please get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-why-its-worth-your-time.php/feed0Lance Armstrong, Branding Catastrophes, And What Not To Dohttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/lance-armstrong-branding-catastrophes-and-what-not-to-do.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/lance-armstrong-branding-catastrophes-and-what-not-to-do.php#respondTue, 22 Jan 2013 15:35:55 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4722This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Lance Armstrong, Branding Catastrophes, And What Not To Do

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For years, cyclist champion Lance Armstrong denied using performance-enhancing drugs to aid him in his record-setting string of Tour de France titles. He stonewalled critics, threatened whistleblowers, and repeatedly denied all doping charges.

The point is you can only hold off brutal reality for so long, and the longer you try, the more you put your brand story at risk. Your authenticity begins to suffer and the public begins to lose trust in what you stand for. Since the Watergate scandal all the way back in 1974, the truth of the mantra, “It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up,” has just loomed larger and larger, especially in this area of social media transparency, where every lie gets magnified to a gargantuan scale.

So, what’s a personal or corporate brand to do when it’s confronted with an unpleasant situation that’s not about to go away on its own?

Last year, a client of ours faced his own dilemma along these lines. Tracy Myers, owner of theFrank Myers AutoMaxx dealership in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, found his business under attack from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) for a single phrase he had used in some YouTube videos promoting his business. They claimed the phrase was deceptive; he claimed it was just the dealership’s policy, but, nonetheless, pulled the offending videos down.

Virtually all the comments he got on the video were positive. Not only that, but some of the car dealer’s supporters got together and took their own photo holding up “Free Uncle Frank!” (Uncle Frank being the car lot’s mascot) signs, which they posted on Facebook. Tracy was also lauded for how he dealt with a potentially difficult business situation.

The truth is you can turn around a negative and find substantial support in the process. Here are three tips we believe can help improve almost any difficult situation when it comes to your personal or professional brand:

1. Get out in front of the story.

Tracy Myers didn’t wait when the FTC action hit. He immediately put out his side of the story (one of the distinct advantages social media has to offer all of us) before bad publicity could snowball. In contrast, Armstrong saw a problem he would inevitably have to confront grow to monstrous proportions before he did act. If he hadn’t been so afraid to deal with the issues, he might have found ways to mitigate the damage along the way.

2. Be as honest and transparent as possible.

Do any of us remember that late night favorite David Letterman was once embroiled in a huge sex scandal? It all went away pretty quickly–because, when it broke, Letterman at once took to the airwaves on his show to admit his culpability in a forthcoming and serious way (so forthcoming that the audience actually laughed, because they didn’t think he could possibly be serious). The incident did little to no damage to his career, simply because he handled it as honestly as possible, even though he was guilty.

3. Make the media your own.

There’s no point in playing someone else’s game, especially when, today more than ever, you can take the ball and run with it as far as you want. That’s exactly what Tracy Myers did when he used YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and every other online outlet he could to get his message out. The worst you can do is put yourself in a reactive position to what someone else is saying about you; it’s better to be proactive and control how your message is delivered and presented to your public. Armstrong limiting his exposure to a single Oprah interview was actually the smartest way to do a “confession.”

Everyone faces personal and professional challenges that threaten their personal brand at some point–it’s part of being a human being. It’s how you handle those challenges that really determine what the ultimate impact will be.

When Armstrong finally decided to go on Oprah, it was at a point where he really had no choice if he ever wanted a shot at public redemption. It would have been smart to act sooner and more decisively.

As David Letterman demonstrated, we are much more forgiving of those who come clean at the first sign of trouble; it’s much harder to support someone who’s accused of playing with matches and won’t admit it until the house has burnt down. Admit quickly and self-correct (if necessary) immediately. Every second you don’t take action is another second you’ve lost to repair your reputation.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/lance-armstrong-branding-catastrophes-and-what-not-to-do.php/feed0Personal Branding: Make it a Habit in 2013!https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-make-it-a-habit-in-2013.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-make-it-a-habit-in-2013.php#respondThu, 17 Jan 2013 08:38:22 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4706As you’ve heard me say before, a powerful personal brand allows a business owner to differentiate himself and his business from the competition. It allows him or her to charge a premium price and still attract a steady stream of new business. Properly leveraged through direct marketing, a powerful personal brand can completely revolutionize any business. I have personally seen it happen time and time again.

But building a personal brand is not as simple as pushing a button. A powerful personal brand takes time and commitment to construct— but that commitment pays off handsomely as the brand begins to grow.

Like many other forms of marketing, for a personal branding campaign to be successful, it must feature consistent effort. You can’t simply wake up one morning, decide to spend three hours working on your personal brand, and then forget about it for another two months. That approach will lead to frustration, and little in the way of results.

Instead, personal branding must become a habit—part of your everyday routine and system.

Yes, you’re busy. I get it. The demands of running your business are non-stop—the last thing you are looking for is more work. But you find time to brush your teeth twice a day, right? You take the time to straighten your tie before heading out the door. Where do you find the time and the energy? You don’t have to “find” the time—you just do it, because it’s a habit. And that’s what personal branding needs to become. A habit. This could mean a couple of minutes on Twitter after lunch each weekday, it could mean taking the time to personally call your customers to check in with them, or it could mean attending a networking function every week. (Note: if this is too much for you, get your team involved! Find a social media savvy member of your team and place him or her in charge of your social media presence. Just make sure that you set clear expectations and hold him/her accountable!)

Personal branding isn’t about flashes of brilliance. It’s about being yourself, consistently, and engaging with the world around you. You’ll see limited results from your networking efforts if you only make it to a function three times per year. This applies to social media as well—one Facebook post or Tweet each month is much less effective than getting involved more frequently, because the point is to build a connection with your audience. And you can’t do that without consistent interaction. That’s why it’s critical that you are active regularly. You don’t have to feel inspired—you just have to be there, and be yourself.

Effective branding requires consistent activity. But you aren’t going to be able to be active consistently unless you establish a habit. It could be first thing in the morning, it could be the last thing you do before you leave the office, it could be after lunch, it could be between meetings—but whenever it is, find time to dedicate to your personal brand and start building the habit! If you’d like to learn more, or if you need some guidance as you get started, feel free to get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

In fact, the truth is that personal branding is more effective when you’re having fun. Personal branding is all about you – your personality, your strengths and weaknesses, your passions. For that reason, approaching it as simply another item on your to-do list won’t work. As 2013 kicks off, I encourage you to make personal branding a fun endeavor. Below are a few ways you can do this:

1) Be yourself. Many business owners make the mistake of building a serious, all-business personal brand. And while the core of your brand has to be your expertise within your market, a boring brand is simply not going to be memorable. So spice it up. Showcase your sense of humor. Share some opinions that may surprise people. Don’t hesitate to include your family and personal life into your public brand. You will connect with your customers and potential customers most effectively when they feel that you are a “real” person just like them—so stop being so uptight all the time!

2) Join associations and organizations that you genuinely enjoy. Networking is a big part of personal branding—after all, your brand needs an audience. But too many people force themselves to attend conventions and trade shows that they truly have no interest in. Do not go down that road. Instead, seek out organizations that you will truly enjoy—related to your industry, or not! If you like acting, join a theatre club that meets every week. Or find a club for fellow hobby enthusiasts. Make friends, be yourself, build your brand—and you will be surprised by how many valuable connections you create. And you will have fun in the process!

3) Support causes that you believe in. Supporting the community is a great way to gain exposure for you and your business—while helping out a good cause at the same time. Rather than supporting specific causes because you always have, or because you feel a duty to, seek out causes that you are passionate about. This could include local schools, community outreach—just about anything. By supporting an effort you truly believe in, you’ll be getting your brand out there while doing something you can truly feel good about.

Today’s consumers are savvy. They know when they’re looking at something genuine, and they know when they’re not. If you’re not truly committed to your branding efforts, they’re not going to ring true. That’s why it’s so important to stay true to yourself and to have some fun with the process. Give your audience a chance to get to know the real you—what makes you different, what makes you great at what you do. Make personal branding fun, and you’re going to be more successful at it. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to get in touch with me or with any of the Agents at our Agency!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/make-personal-branding-fun-this-year.php/feed0Personal Branding: Do You Need to Shift Your Focus in 2013?https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-do-you-need-to-shift-your-focus-in-2013.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-do-you-need-to-shift-your-focus-in-2013.php#respondFri, 11 Jan 2013 08:21:53 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4685As we’ve discussed previously, one of the key elements to a powerful personal brand is focus. Effective brands, personal or corporate, are focused on a particular niche and a particular set of characteristics that separate the business from others in their market. McDonalds is very successful at what they do—namely, selling affordable burgers and fries that taste the same no matter which location you visit. Meanwhile, just about every city in the USA has at least one local, high-end steakhouse. They’re not cheap, they’re not fast—but they are classy, distinctive, and known for delicious entrees.

Two very different restaurants with a very different focus—and both have found success.

The question is… what is your focus?

Who is your target market? What are the characteristics of your ideal customer?

How does your brand appeal to these customers? (Common answers might include “an emphasis on customer service” or “years of experience” or “a unique product that no one else can offer.”)

Now that you’ve got an idea of the focus of your brand, let’s take a few moments to evaluate it critically. Answer each of these questions as honestly as you can:

Does your brand resonate with your target market? In other words, is it appealing? Times change, and a brand that was attractive ten years ago could easily be obsolete today. (How many of us still use AOL as our internet provider?)

Does your brand set you apart from others in your market? The whole point of a strong personal brand is that it differentiates you from your competition. When successful, this gives you the ability to virtually “lock out” competitors because they simply can’t provide what you can. But the marketplace is fast-moving—so honestly evaluate whether your brand is still unique.

Does your brand focus on the value you provide to your customers? Ultimately, your brand should answer the question “why should I do business with you?” McDonalds offers fast, affordable burgers—consistent time after time. Apple offers cutting edge technology and a “cool” factor. Nike makes their customers feel like world-class athletes. What value does your brand provide?

The beginning of the New Year is a perfect opportunity to evaluate the state of your brand. Take some time to ponder these questions… and ask yourself if perhaps your brand needs a new focus for 2013.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-do-you-need-to-shift-your-focus-in-2013.php/feed0Chris Christie, Honey Boo Boo, And The Top 10 Celebrity Branding Success Stories Of 2012https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/chris-christie-honey-boo-boo-and-the-top-10-celebrity-branding-success-stories-of-2012.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/chris-christie-honey-boo-boo-and-the-top-10-celebrity-branding-success-stories-of-2012.php#respondMon, 31 Dec 2012 14:46:41 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4612This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Chris Christie, Honey Boo Boo, And The Top 10 Celebrity Branding Success Stories Of 2012

As another year comes to a close, everyone is posting all kinds of 2012 Top Ten Lists. Don’t believe us? Well, if you happen to have a few minutes during the holiday rush, here are 55 of them, courtesy of Time magazine.

Frankly, we can’t resist the temptation to offer one of our own–focusing on our own specialty, of course. Without further ado, here is our 2012 Top Ten List Celebrity Branding Success Stories, celebrating those notables who best exemplified a specific and crucial facet of building a successful personal brand.

10. Honey Boo Boo

There’s no question that TLC reality superstar Honey Boo Boo captured the nation’s heart this year–and we think that’s because this little girl and her family exemplified the personal branding quality of authenticity–if not the qualities of good nutrition (check out their “sketti” recipe and then contemplate their cholesterol counts!). Honey and her homies were always themselves, no matter what the situation–and that includes their pet pig, Glitzy! It wasn’t for everybody, but it was for a huge number of TV viewers.

9. Chris Christie

Many conservatives lost their mind when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was showngiving some love to President Obama a week before the Presidential election, but actually, Christie was giving himself a co-branding advantage. Co-branding is when two unlikely brands combine forces (think of James Bond and Heineken teaming up in Skyfall) to broaden their bases and gain more exposure. In Christie’s case, his bipartisan effort with Obama after Hurricane Sandy sparked a 19-point rise in his approval rating, bringing it to record-breaking heights.

8. James Bond

Speaking of James Bond, no matter what he’s drinking these days, 007 has proven himself to be one celebrity brand that never quits. As a matter of fact, his latest screen adventure is his most popular ever, and that’s quite an accomplishment after a half century of movie heroics. Why is he still so successful? Because the producers haven’t been afraid to move him forward with some solid brand evolution. The film successfully captures 2012 sensibilities, even though Bond originated during The Cold War in the 1950s. When a brand stands still, it gets left in the past. When a brand stays contemporary, it can continue to connect.

7. Lana Del Rey

Singer Lana Del Rey first burst onto the scene in 2011 as a YouTube sensation, and her uniquemusical style caused people to either love her or hate her. She appeared visibly uncomfortableduring a musical performance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live last year, which made more music aficionados question her professionalism and authenticity. However, she didn’t let any of this backlash stop her–and her new album has actually gotten her some respect. By showing integrity when it came to her core brand, she overcame the hate and established herself as a comer.

6. The Obama Campaign

Last month, Obama won a bigger victory than expected–many attributed the high turnout in his favor to his campaign’s savvy use of social media. 45% of registered voters said they were motivated to vote by Facebook, Twitter and the like, indicating the increased importance of using these social sites to promote any celebrity brand.

5. Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas became a superstar at the London Summer Olympics with her record-breaking gymnastic feats. Sometimes a celebrity brand is sparked simply by an incredible display of high performance; whether you break world records or sales records, your audience is bound to take notice.

4. The Avengers

This Marvel-ous superhero movie became the biggest hit of 2012, but that success was actually several years in the making. The Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor movies first introduced the team members in their own hit films, plus each teased the forthcoming Avengers film with appearances by group ringleader Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson). This is a shining example of how a solid brand strategy can multiply brand success.

3. Kony 2012

In early March, if you were even a casual user of social media, you couldn’t get away from the viral video Kony 2012, as millions of people around the globe were sharing it. A poll suggested that over half of American young adults had heard of the video within days of its release. The video, which promoted the cause of the San Diego-based organization Invisible Children, demonstrated just what effective storytelling is capable of–which is why we consider it themost powerful personal branding tool (and which is also why we’re writing a book about it!).

2. Jeremy Lin

In February of 2012, “Linsanity” hit the Big Apple–when Jeremy Lin, a player who was about to be cut by the New York Knicks, suddenly became the team’s star player, with a series of awesome games in which he made the difference between a win and a loss. When you can successfully engineer that kind of unexpected shock and awe demonstration, you surprise your competition, delight your intended audience, and instantly create a memorable celebrity brand.

1. The Mayans

How can a culture that hit its peak more than a thousand years ago grab tons of publicity all year long? Easy: just predict the end of the world (or not). Yes, if you want to really draw an awesome amount of attention to your celebrity brand, simply make an apocalyptic prediction. There, of course, is only one problem with this approach: Every single doom-and-gloom forecast, so far anyway, has been wrong (and here’s another Top 10 list to prove it). And let’s face it–even if you do get lucky and hit it right, you’re not really going to have a lot of time to enjoy your newfound fame. Better to stick with the branding ideas in the previous nine entries!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/chris-christie-honey-boo-boo-and-the-top-10-celebrity-branding-success-stories-of-2012.php/feed0Take Your Personal Brand to the Next Level in 2013, Part Two: Ten Resolutionshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/take-your-personal-brand-to-the-next-level-in-2013-part-two-ten-resolutions.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/take-your-personal-brand-to-the-next-level-in-2013-part-two-ten-resolutions.php#respondMon, 31 Dec 2012 08:21:44 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4590In a recent article, I highlighted five New Year’s resolutions to help you take your brand to the next level in 2013. As promised, here are five more:

6) Make your customers feel like insiders. If you can make your customers feel like “VIPs”, they’re going to be much more loyal to your business and your brand. Let customers get a glimpse “behind the scenes” from time to time. Sharing pictures of your team in action on social media is one great way to do this.

7) Provide value to your social media followers. Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t in position to “break” news in today’s fast-paced media environment. But you can provide analysis and other valuable information to your online audience. If you’re a tax accountant, for instance, you could explain the implications of a new law that is being debated by congress. This type of valuable insight will make your audience pay attention!

8 ) Interact with your social media audience. Too many business owners view social media as a one-way street. It’s not. If you are using social media merely to promote yourself, you’re not going to build an audience. Spend more time replying to status updates and tweets than you do creating your own.

9) Make sure your website reflects your brand well. In many cases, your website serves as the “face” of your business. Take the opportunity to communicate your brand. This means using pictures and video if possible—and it means creating content that reinforces your brand and your points of differentiation. If you’d like to learn more about creating a personal brand-centered website, let me know!

10) Look for speaking opportunities. Think about the last time you attended a seminar that featured a speaker. Without even thinking about it, you granted the speaker “expert” status in your mind, didn’t you? We naturally assume that someone qualified to address a large group on a specific topic knows what they are talking about—which is why making a speech is such a good idea. When you speak on a topic, you become an expert in that subject—and that’s what personal branding is all about!

Feel free to get in touch with me or any of the other agents at the agency if you’d like help in this area. I hope that 2013 will be the best year yet for your brand and your business!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/take-your-personal-brand-to-the-next-level-in-2013-part-two-ten-resolutions.php/feed0Take Your Personal Brand to the Next Level in 2013: Ten Resolutionshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/take-your-personal-brand-to-the-next-level-in-2013-ten-resolutions.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/take-your-personal-brand-to-the-next-level-in-2013-ten-resolutions.php#respondFri, 28 Dec 2012 13:18:41 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4581The New Year is right around the corner, and this is the time of year where many of us think about what we’d like to accomplish in the next 12 months. Right now, 2013 is a blank slate, full of possibilities. For both yourself and your business, you have the opportunity to set ambitious goals and achieve incredible success. Today, I’d like to offer ten New Year’s resolutions designed to help you take your personal brand to the next level in 2013. I will cover the first five here, and the next five in an upcoming blog entry.

Refine your elevator speech. When given 30-60 seconds to talk about yourself and your business, do you know what to say? Do you have a speech prepared that effectively communicates your brand and your points of differentiation? You never know when this will come in handy, so be prepared!

Live your brand. Personal branding only works if you truly commit to it. Every interaction you have with your market—whether it’s a face-to-face conversation, a radio commercial, a website, or a speech—should be consistent with your personal brand. By itself, your personal brand has limited value… but when you tie it in to every aspect of your business and your relationships, it can take your marketing efforts to the next level. Be particularly careful to “live” your brand while you are working with clients and customers—the impression that you create goes a long way to determine their perception of you and your business!

Smile! This may sound elementary, but the truth is that happy, positive people are more fun to be around, and therefore more memorable. Do your best to maintain a cheerful attitude when you’re around others—it really does make a difference.

Focus on relationships as you use social media. Twitter and Facebook are full of individuals and companies that are trying to establish their brand and sell their products by ramming them down their audience’s throat. It’s free marketing, the theory goes, so why not aggressively self-promote and sell? The problem with that line of thought is that most people don’t log on to Facebook or Twitter looking to be sold something. Your customers use Facebook and Twitter to build relationships, both personal and professional. The key to establishing your brand on these sites is to build relationships.

Don’t be afraid to grow. Change is scary. But it’s inevitable for a healthy business, and for a healthy personal brand. Your business can’t afford to stand still—you should always be searching for opportunities to innovate and improve. Don’t be afraid to stretch and grow in 2013!

Stay tuned for five more New Year’s resolutions in an upcoming blog entry. Best wishes to you, your family, and your business in the New Year!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/take-your-personal-brand-to-the-next-level-in-2013-ten-resolutions.php/feed0Become a Celebrity: Go Against the Flowhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/become-a-celebrity-go-against-the-flow.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/become-a-celebrity-go-against-the-flow.php#respondSat, 08 Dec 2012 08:57:46 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4333What is the most effective way to corner the market and lock out your competition? Simple: you need to become a CelebrityExpert®. You need to develop a compelling, engaging personal brand that positions you as the leading expert within your market. You need to be the first name that pops into any potential customers mind when he or she needs your services or products.

And… to stand out amidst your competition, you need to go against the flow.

This makes logical sense, right? If you want to become the industry expert in your area, ahead of all your competition, why would you want to sound and look just like everyone else? Today we are going to take a look at various strategies for differentiating yourself and your business from the competition—while establishing yourself as the leading expert in your market.

Break the Mold

How many businesses, even today, put serious effort into engaging their market via social media and compelling web sites? While some businesses are gradually starting to come around, the reality is that most small businesses have been slow to adopt social media and web marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy.

Of course, it is not enough to simply create a Facebook page and a Twitter profile and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring. To build a truly powerful presence, you need to do social media differently than your competitors. Keep these three principles in mind:

1) Focus on relationships. Twitter and Facebook are full of individuals and companies that are trying to establish their brand and sell their products by ramming them down their audience’s throat. It’s free marketing, the theory goes, so why not aggressively self-promote and sell? The problem with that line of thought is that most people don’t log on to Facebook or Twitter looking to be sold something. Your customers use Facebook and Twitter to build relationships, both personal and professional. The key to establishing your brand on these sites is to build relationships. Spend more time replying to status updates and tweets than you do creating your own.

2) Don’t be boring. Too many Twitter and Facebook profiles are completely devoid of originality, personality and substance. If you’re going to stand out, you need to be interesting and thought provoking. Post jokes, or commentary on pop culture, or predictions for upcoming NFL games. Tweet using only haiku form for a couple of days. Be creative. Find a way to express yourself, your personality, and the personality of your business. Before you know it, you’ll realize that followers and friends are looking forward to your next tweet or status update. Not only does this mean more exposure for your business, but it also means a stronger bond between you and your clients.

3) Break down the news. Twitter and Facebook are great sources of breaking news. As soon as anything of even minor importance happens, you can bet there will be thousands of posts announcing it and linking to news stories. Posting a link to a breaking news story will not help you stand out—but insightful analysis will. Imagine you’re a CPA for a moment, and a new tax bill has just been signed into law. Don’t just share the news, explain what it means for business owners and taxpayers! Your tweet will stand out from the thousands of others, because you won’t simply be stating what happened, you’ll be telling your audience what it means to them. By breaking down recent developments that matter to your customers, you provide value to your social media followers—and you establish yourself as the clear expert in your market!

Social media can be a great way to differentiate your business from the competition—but you have to find a way to stand out. Be creative, don’t hesitate to think outside the box, and keep these three strategies in mind as you build your social media presence.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/become-a-celebrity-go-against-the-flow.php/feed0Three Reasons Why The Customer Experience You Provide Can Make or Break Your Businesshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/three-reasons-why-the-customer-experience-you-provide-can-make-or-break-your-business.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/three-reasons-why-the-customer-experience-you-provide-can-make-or-break-your-business.php#respondThu, 06 Dec 2012 08:52:42 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4324You’ve probably heard talk about the importance of “customer experience” when it comes to growing your business. But have you ever wondered why it’s so important? Below are three reasons that it pays to create a brand and a business that is known for providing a stellar customer experience.

1) Your business becomes immune to price undercutting. Once your customers have experienced the unparalleled experience your business provides, it will be very hard to persuade them to go anywhere else. Do you own an iPad, or do you know someone who does? Ask them how likely they are to purchase a different tablet in the future, simply because it is priced more cheaply. If you surveyed 100 users, you would be hard pressed to find more than one or two who would consider switching.Why? Because the iPad is an exceptional product and provides great value to its users. Back to your business: the reality is that, from time to time, you will have to deal with competitors undercutting your prices. But by building a brand centered around your unique and exceptional value, you render yourself immune to your competitor’s strategy.

2) Your business builds a loyal following. If you attract new business simply by offering low prices, you can expect them to be loyal customers—until they can find lower rates elsewhere. On the other hand, by marketing the unique value provided by your business, you will attract customers that appreciate the value you provide. They won’t leave you in the blink of an eye—because the value you provide can’t be easily duplicated by your competition. Sure, low prices are a great way to bring in new business. But they’ll leave you just as rapidly as they found you. Providing value enables you to build a loyal following—and to keep them for the long term.

3) Your customers spread the word via word-of-mouth advertising. Providing a great customer experience will lead directly to the most effective form of advertising known to mankind—authentic word-of-mouth advertising. When your customer has a great experience, human nature means that he or she is very likely to tell a friend or a family member. Over time, your business will build a reputation for quality care and service—and you can count on bringing in new customers who are eager to experience your business for themselves.

Customer experience matters—and it’s important that providing an exceptional experience becomes an integral part of your brand. It will pay dividends!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/three-reasons-why-the-customer-experience-you-provide-can-make-or-break-your-business.php/feed0Celebrity Branding: Establish Your Value and Stop Competing on Pricehttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-establish-your-value-and-stop-competing-on-price.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-establish-your-value-and-stop-competing-on-price.php#respondTue, 04 Dec 2012 08:45:39 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4316Why is personal branding worthwhile? There are many reasons, but today we’re going to focus on one of them: Developing a dominant personal brand will allow you to stop competing on price. You won’t have to charge rock-bottom rates in order to bring in new business, and you won’t have to worry about customers bolting for a competitor the moment they find a lower price.

Here are several ways to accomplish this with your personal brand:

Use your personal brand to highlight your experience and qualifications. Your customers want to know that they are in good hands. If you can position yourself as experienced and well-qualified, you allow them to simply relax and trust that you’ll get the job done right. That sense of confidence is exceptionally valuable—and most customers are willing to pay a premium for it.

Use your personal brand to emphasize your expert status. Media exposure is key—whether that means writing a book, publishing articles in nationally circulated magazines, or appearing on local TV. Many business owners laugh at this idea when we discuss it for the first time—their common response is “what in the world would I have to talk/write about?” But every business owner has a story to tell, and you are no exception! Emphasizing your expertise makes it easy to charge higher rates… because it’s a given that working with an expert means paying a premium rate.

Use your personal brand to communicate what makes you different. A well-defined personal brand makes it easy for your market to understand what makes you different from everyone else out there. At the Celebrity Branding Agency, we are passionate about the music and entertainment industry, and it shows—whether it’s on social media, through our website, or in face-to-face conversation. As a result, our clients know that we have the ability to leverage the same tools that are available to A-list celebrities. Take the time to define your most valuable points of differentiation, whether it’s your education, a revolutionary new product, or a commitment to exceptional customer service—and work to incorporate them into your personal brand.

Your clients prefer to do business with experts whenever they can. Think about it—when your child is sick and you have to choose a doctor, which would you prefer—one who is generic and non-descript, or a recognized expert in his field? Of course you’ll choose the expert. The same goes when you’re choosing an accountant to prepare your taxes, a real estate agent to help you sell your home, or even a mechanic to work on your car.

If you can develop a personal brand that communicates your qualifications, your expert status, and the attributes that set you apart from the competition, it will be very easy for your market to understand the value that you provide. And at that point, your target customers won’t blink at your price tag—because the value you provide more than justifies it.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-establish-your-value-and-stop-competing-on-price.php/feed0Are You Leveraging Your Personal Brand to the Max?https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/are-you-leveraging-your-personal-brand-to-the-max.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/are-you-leveraging-your-personal-brand-to-the-max.php#respondSat, 01 Dec 2012 08:38:07 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4308As you begin to build a strong personal brand, it is important to leverage it fully in order to grow your business. Whether it is networking, direct marketing, or meeting with a prospect face-to-face, make sure to incorporate the celebrity brand that you have created!

For instance:

Incorporate your personal brand into speeches and public events. Whether you’re speaking to a large audience or you’re networking with two fellow business owners, don’t be afraid to tie your brand into conversation. Tell stories. Talk about your hobbies. Let your audience get to know you, personally—not just in your professional capacity. By interweaving your brand into your conversation, you can simultaneously impress your audience with your knowledge of your industry and create a strong personal appeal.

Use direct marketing—but make sure your brand always shines through. Many small business owners don’t realize how effectively personal branding can be tied in to a direct marketing campaign. Whether it’s your website or a direct mail campaign, branding yourself as the CelebrityExpert® in your market while presenting a strong call to action is powerful. Don’t just market the services you provide—market yourself through your brand. Your customers want to know that they are in good hands—so always present yourself as THE expert in your market.

Live your brand. Personal branding only works if you truly commit to it. Every interaction you have with your market—whether it’s a face-to-face conversation, a radio commercial, a website, or a speech—should be consistent with your personal brand. By itself, your personal brand has limited value… but when you tie it in to every aspect of your business and your relationships, it can take your marketing efforts to the next level. Be particularly careful that to “live” your brand while you are working with clients and customers—the impression that you create goes a long way to determine their perception of you and your business!

You’ve been working hard to create a powerful personal brand—so take advantage of it. Look for opportunities to leverage it on a daily basis. These suggestions will help you get started, but be sure to use your own creativity as well!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/are-you-leveraging-your-personal-brand-to-the-max.php/feed0The Twinkie Template For Building An Eternal Brandhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-twinkie-template-for-building-an-eternal-brand.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-twinkie-template-for-building-an-eternal-brand.php#respondFri, 30 Nov 2012 15:54:11 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4299This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: The Twinkie Template For Building An Eternal Brand

In the last couple of weeks, have you ever heard so much about Twinkies? I mean, since you were six years old?

In case you missed our recent national panic attack, America collectively gasped when it was announced that the Hostess snack food company was going out of business due to a labor dispute and, as a result, its flagship product, Twinkies, would soon disappear from store shelves.

What’s funny about all this sudden Twinkie worship is that Twinkies have weathered their share of branding storms over the years. There was the urban legend that Twinkies are made of so many ingredients that aren’t real food that they remain edible forever (not true–they have a shelf life of about 25 days). There was the infamous “Twinkie defense,” employed unsuccessfully in 1979 by the man who shot the San Francisco mayor (as well as city supervisor Harvey Milk), who claimed that too much junk food caused him to turn homicidal. And, of course, Twinkies have been the butt of jokes in shows like Family Guy and movies such as Wall-E. Any brand faces challenges–particularly one that’s been around for more than 80 years. If a brand is carefully built, however, it can be strong enough to sustain almost any bad press.

So–how can you make sure your personal brand is up to the Twinkie standard? Here are a few tips, courtesy of The Disney Institute, that lead to long-lasting success.

1. The Emotional Connection

The strongest way you can bond your audience to your brand is through emotion, and the best way to create that emotional component is through storytelling. We’ve written about the power of storytelling before, because it’s an integral part of our approach on behalf of our clients. When you frame your brand’s story in the right way, you reach people on a very deep level.

Twinkies, by the way, are fortunate in the fact that most of us have already crafted our own Twinkie brand story in our heads. Because they’ve been around so long, we all grew up with them; they were an integral part of many a childhood lunch. That’s why the thought of them not being around anymore elicited so much panic.

2. Employees as an Emotional Engine

Disney calls its theme park employees their “cast members,” and they all receive careful instructions on how they should present themselves to Disney guests. To quote the Disney institute, “Brand loyalty…is seen as a reciprocal relationship, beginning with us. Each cast member, regardless of rank, understands that we must be loyal to our customers to receive loyalty in return.”

Similarly, the people who work for you, or even vendors who interact with the general public on your behalf, should act as ambassadors of your “brand story” with points of difference in their presentations that set you apart from the competition. Beyond that, your products should be packaged and labeled in a manner that also extends your brand story.

3. Build Repeat Business

If your brand doesn’t prompt people to come back to you for more, how in the world will it have any longevity? That means you must make sure your brand truly connects with your target audience and that you continue to expand its appeal beyond its original buyers. Also, as Disney makes clear, you need to be your toughest critic. If you’re not honest enough to confront your brand’s weaknesses and find ways to continually improve your delivery, you’re not giving folks the motivation to keep buying from you.

Twinkies may not, in reality, last forever…but their brand just might, and so can yours. We should all aim to build a brand with the lasting value of America’s favorite snack–but maybe with a little more nutritional value.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/the-twinkie-template-for-building-an-eternal-brand.php/feed0Personal Branding 101: Six Classic Branding Mistakes to Avoidhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-six-classic-branding-mistakes-to-avoid.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-six-classic-branding-mistakes-to-avoid.php#respondFri, 09 Nov 2012 08:03:19 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4270Personal branding isn’t something that is ever “done”, as I’ve written before. Building an effective brand is a journey. It’s an ongoing process. It requires consistency and it requires that you create and adhere to a plan.

But while the goal is to consistently strengthen one’s personal brand over time, the reverse is also possible. Below are six common branding mistakes that will sabotage your efforts to build a powerful personal brand. Are you committing any of them?

1) Poor focus. You can’t be everything to everyone. Your personal brand should be focused around a few key qualities—your unique skillset, your sarcastic sense of humor, or your years of experience, for instance. Trying to “do too much” ends up diluting your brand, and you end up not standing for anything. Identify the most important traits or attributes to highlight, and focus your efforts on them.

2) Being Mr. (or Mrs.) Negative. Nobody wants to be around negativity. So no matter what the specifics of your brand may be, stay away from negativity. Don’t complain on social media. Don’t start a phone call by complaining about the weather or your local sports team. Stay positive and upbeat as much as possible, and your brand will be that much more appealing.

3) Misunderstanding your audience. Do you understand your audience? I mean… really understand them. Do you know their hopes and their dreams? Do you know the fears that keep them up at night? It’s critical that you understand your audience in a very comprehensive way so that you can tailor your brand accordingly.

4) Expecting instant results. You can’t build a powerful brand overnight. Unfortunately, many business owners grow discouraged if they don’t see instant results—and as a result pull the plug on what could otherwise be a very successful initiative. Understand that building a personal brand is a long-term project, not something you accomplish overnight.

5) Putting it off. Branding requires consistent work on your part (or on the part of your staff). Updating social media, blogging, networking… it all takes time. And because most business owners are extremely busy, in many cases they end up putting off their branding efforts as they don’t seem as immediately important. Unfortunately, this mindset leads to weak or ineffective branding efforts. If you’re serious about your personal brand, commit to it!

6) Not telling the truth. The worst thing you can do when it comes to building a powerful brand is to make promises you can’t keep. Don’t make outlandish claims or crazy promises just to close a deal. While these tactics may be helpful in the short run, in time it will come back to haunt you. Be honest and upfront as you create your brand… that way you can be sure it is built on a solid foundation that won’t crumble over time.

Personal branding can be extremely profitable for business owners. We’ve talked extensively in this space about the process of creating an effective brand. But if you’re committing any of these mistakes, you’re making the job much harder for yourself! Feel free to get in touch with me or any of the other agents at the agency if you’d like to learn more.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-101-six-classic-branding-mistakes-to-avoid.php/feed0Personal Branding: Five Ways to Draw More Attention on Social Mediahttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-five-ways-to-draw-more-attention-on-social-media.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-five-ways-to-draw-more-attention-on-social-media.php#respondTue, 06 Nov 2012 20:53:31 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4260Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be great channels by which to connect with your target market. The explosive growth these platforms have experienced in recent years gives you the opportunity to reach a potentially huge audience in a branded, consistent, and cost-effective way.

That, in a nutshell, is why so many business owners are excited about social media.

But this growth presents challenges as well. Most obviously, as more and more businesses jump in to the fray, it can be very hard to be seen and heard. And as you know, it doesn’t matter how great your social media content is, if nobody sees it! So today, we are going to cover five ways to engage a larger audience via social media.

1) Interact. Too many business owners view social media as a one-way street. It’s not. If you are using social media merely to promote yourself, you’re not going to build an audience. Take the time to interact with others and build real relationships—it’s time well spent!

2) Share pictures. You’ve heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words. On social media, a picture may be worth ten thousand words. So use them!

3) Break news. If you’re in position to break news that impacts your industry, do so! There’s plenty of regurgitated content flying around on Twitter and other social media sites… but if you can break news, you’re going to build a following.

4) Provide value. Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t in position to “break” news. But you can provide analysis and other valuable information to your audience. If you’re a tax accountant, for instance, you could explain the implications of a new law that is being debated by congress. This type of valuable insight will make your audience pay attention!

5) Get personal. It’s important that your following on social media views you as a “real” person, not an impersonal business focused only on self promotion. Tell jokes. Talk about your favorite TV shows. Don’t be afraid to relax and have fun!

One final note: if this sounds like a lot of work… it is. Social media requires time on a regular basis. But the good news is that you don’t have to do it by yourself… you can delegate it to a member of your team. Just be sure that you create a plan and define your expectations so that they stay on track.

Questions or comments? Feel free to contact me, or any of the agents at our agency to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-five-ways-to-draw-more-attention-on-social-media.php/feed0Bundling Your Way To Bigger Profitshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/jwdicks/bundling-your-way-to-bigger-profits.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/jwdicks/bundling-your-way-to-bigger-profits.php#respondWed, 24 Oct 2012 19:02:49 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4254This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Bundling Your Way To Bigger Profits

—

Did you ever try to add one channel to your cable or satellite TV service? If you tried, you probably failed, because TV channels are routinely bundled by the big boys like DirecTV, DISH, and Time Warner. That means if you want TLC, you might have to also pay for the History Channel. If you want MTV, you might also have to pay for VH1.

Senator McCain is lucky–there are many grocery stores to choose from and none of them would ever attempt to make you buy broccoli to get milk. However, it’s most likely that there is only one company bringing TV into your living room at this moment, and it will most likely make you subscribe to BroccoliTV if you desperately want The Milk Channel (if, of course, either of those entities actually existed).

The practice of bundling, selling more than one product together in a package deal, is an effective marketing practice that can boost your sales and your revenues if used correctly. However, because you undoubtedly have more competition than DirecTV, you can’t get away with “pure bundling,” in which the customer can’t buy one or more items in the bundle separately. Studies have shown that will actually reduce your sales by over 20%.

In most cases, however, bundling is a highly effective marketing approach. The book industry, a business with more competition than it knows what to do with, has recently discovered its benefits. A few months ago, a U.K. imprint, Angry Robot, began offering a free digital copy of each print version of a book it sells. Now, you might think that would water down sales. What’s to stop readers from passing out the e-books to friends and keeping the print copy for themselves? Well, the opposite happened–the new practice actually tripled their sales and shifted the focus from “print vs. digital” to “added value.” And those extra revenues were created with absolute minimum costs, since e-books have a one-time-only production cost.

Other publishers have recently found other advantages with bundling. The Wall Street Journalearlier this year reported on book companies that are now using bundling to bring attention to book titles that lacked the visibility to spur sales on their own. Publishers are bundling them with more established books, either by discounting the second book or, in some cases, just plain giving it away (especially if it’s a digital copy). “It’s a way for us to introduce for free an author to a reader that they might want to know,” Maja Thomas, senior vice president of Hachette Digital, told the Journal.

Here are a few of the many benefits that bundling your products can bring:

* The buyer gets to determine value.

Say you’re bundling a video and a book together for $50. One customer might think the video was worth $40 and the book was worth $30, while another customer might flip those values around, with the book being worth $40 and the video $30. That doesn’t matter, because both customers will agree that they’re getting a deal by purchasing the two products for $50.Etsy.com cites this as a primary reason for sellers to bundle on their site.

* Bundling spurs quicker sales.

Studies show that a bundle that appears to be a great deal will motivate buyers to act more quickly than they would have otherwise. If you’ve ever added an item to the cart on Amazon.com, you’ve seen how they’ll “suggest” an additional similar product at a lower cost if you buy both, and if that sort of bundling didn’t work, they wouldn’t do it!

* Bundling spotlights products that are being ignored.

Yoking a forgotten product to a popular one is a way to help the former gain recognition with the help of the latter. TV networks used to do this all the time–classic shows like Seinfeld andM*A*S*H didn’t become ratings successes until they were moved into timeslots next to other much more popular shows and viewers actually sampled them. If you feel one of your products didn’t take off like it should have, this is an excellent way to give it a “second life.”

* Bundling offers big profits on products that have little to no extra production costs.

As noted, giving away a free copy of an e-book with a printed book costs the publisher almost nothing, but brings a lot of added value to the buyer. Similarly, most Blu-ray movies are now packaged with DVD and digital copies of the same film, because the extra cost is almost non-existent, as is the case with copies of video games. In this age of digital products, it’s easy to add a pre-existing product, charge more for the bundle, and trigger extra revenues that otherwise wouldn’t have existed.

Again, bundling works best when you offer the customer a choice. The more control buyers feel they have, the more comfortable they are choosing your products. Remember the days before iTunes, when, if you wanted a great song, you had to buy a whole CD that probably mostly sucked? That made you feel like you had been ripped off–and that’s not a feeling you ever want your customers to take away from a sale.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/jwdicks/bundling-your-way-to-bigger-profits.php/feed0Celebrity Branding: Which “Hollywood” Strategies Can You Apply to Your Business?https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-which-hollywood-strategies-can-you-apply-to-your-business.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-which-hollywood-strategies-can-you-apply-to-your-business.php#respondMon, 22 Oct 2012 07:03:01 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4245Our agency is called the Celebrity Branding Agency, as most of you know. And we didn’t choose that name at random. While you may not realize it, virtually every celebrity in Hollywood has at least one thing in common: they (or their advisors and agents!) are highly skilled at marketing, and branding in particular. Sure, there is luck involved in becoming an A-lister, not to mention talent and genetics. But for every Hollywood celebrity, there are hundreds of people who are every bit as talented… but never achieve success on the same scale. So today, we are going to take a look at the marketing strategies and techniques that celebrities use to build their career… and see if we can apply those same strategies to your business.

1) Figure out what sets you apart. There is no such thing as a “generic” celebrity—they all have a unique skill, trait, or physical ability. Think Justin Bieber’s hair, Lady Gaga’s wardrobe, or Usher’s ability to dance. As a business owner, it’s up to you to identify what makes your business different from everyone else. It could be your years of experience and unique perspective. It could be the customer experience you provide.

2) “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” No celebrity waits until they are famous to start dressing and acting the part. Hollywood doesn’t work that way, and neither does the world of business. If you expect to become a market leader, you need to act like one—starting right now!

3) Leverage the media. If there’s one thing that Hollywood celebrities know how to do, it is to leverage the power of the media. Whether it is appearing on late night talk shows to promote themselves or a venture, dominating the tabloids, or giving interviews on the red carpet, A-list celebrities understand the “star power” that the media provides. We help our clients to do the same. How can you leverage the power of the media to promote your business and build your brand?

4) Embrace a cause or a charity. Celebrities routinely endorse or partner with causes and charities—everything from animal rights to cancer research. And while this usually reflects a sincere passion, it’s also an excellent opportunity for celebrities to build goodwill and generate exposure for themselves. How can you partner with a cause in your market in order to build your brand?

5) Never forget that it is your fans who ultimately make you famous. At the end of the day, it’s the fans that make celebrities who they are. Without millions of fans lining up to buy his albums and purchase concert tickets, Justin Bieber would be just another anonymous, albeit very talented, young adult. As a business owner, the same is true of your customers. Never, ever forget that your customers are responsible for your success… and treat them accordingly!

You may not realize it, but business owners can learn a whole lot about marketing and branding by paying attention to Hollywood! How can you apply these lessons to your business?

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/celebrity-branding-which-hollywood-strategies-can-you-apply-to-your-business.php/feed0Five Personal Branding Secrets You Can Apply Todayhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/five-personal-branding-secrets-you-can-apply-today.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/five-personal-branding-secrets-you-can-apply-today.php#respondWed, 17 Oct 2012 08:50:49 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4230We talk a lot about personal branding on this blog, and most of the strategies focus on long-term strategy, planning, and solutions. Today we’re going to change it up a bit and highlight five branding techniques that you can use to start building a more powerful brand immediately:

1) Practice your handshake and introduction. Obviously as a professional you know how to shake hands and introduce yourself. But give this process some thought, and ask yourself “am I projecting the best possible first impression?” If not, what needs to change? Work on it and put it into practice immediately—the first impression really does count.

2) Refine your elevator speech. When given 30-60 seconds to talk about yourself and your business, do you know what to say? Do you have a speech prepared that effectively communicate your brand and your points of differentiation? You never know when this will come in handy, so be prepared!

3) “Live out” your brand. Does your personality reflect the brand you are working to build? It should—or you’ll be contradicting yourself and sabotaging your brand. Work to ensure that you embody your brand in every day interactions, just as you do when you’re appearing on TV or interacting with your audience via social media.

4) Add a branded element to your email signature. If you’re like many business owners, you often send dozens of emails per day. Each of those emails is a chance to reinforce your brand—simply by branding your signature. Whether it’s a logo, a favorite quote, or a picture of yourself, find a way to take advantage of the opportunity!

5) Smile! This may sound elementary, but the truth is that happy, positive people are more fun to be around, and therefore more memorable. Do your best to maintain a cheerful attitude when you’re around others—it really does make a difference.

Personal branding doesn’t have to be complicated! Each of these strategies will make a real difference – so put them into practice today!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/five-personal-branding-secrets-you-can-apply-today.php/feed0Personal Branding and the Presidency: How Personal Branding Impacts Political Raceshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-and-the-presidency-how-personal-branding-impacts-political-races.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-and-the-presidency-how-personal-branding-impacts-political-races.php#respondFri, 12 Oct 2012 08:28:43 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4138We are in the heat of election season now—not like you could have missed it!

It seems like you can’t go five minutes without hearing or seeing an advertisement for President Obama or for Mitt Romney, his challenger. (If you’re completely tired of them and just want the election to be over with already, I can promise you that you’re not alone!)

As you probably know, political elections largely come down to marketing and branding. “Likeability” is an important component of every election—and in fact, many experts believe that the President’s edge in the likeability category is largely responsible for his narrow lead in the polls.

At the end of the day, “likeability” largely comes down to personal branding—so we’re going to take a few moments to look at the efforts both Romney and Obama are making to build their personal brands. How can you apply these lessons to your business?

Pursuing photo ops. If you had a dollar for every time a presidential candidate was “caught” kissing a baby, you’d be very, very wealthy. And it’s no accident. Politicians are acutely aware of the power of photographs to communicate their brand, and they work tirelessly to ensure that they are photographed in as many flattering settings as possible.

Dressing appropriately. Political candidates want to appear to be normal people just like you and I—and they dress accordingly when they’re out campaigning. Mitt Romney in particular seems to be determined to shed the idea that he is somehow “different” from voters due to his wealth and his high-level business success. He can frequently be seen in a dress shirt, with no tie, and with his sleeves rolled up.

Talking about the same things their audience is talking about. Both Romney and Obama made a point of commenting on the “replacement referee” controversy that angered NFL fans through the first four weeks of the season. It’s entirely possible that both candidates did feel passionately about the issue, but it’s also clear that the controversy represented an opportunity to demonstrate that they are “normal” people too.

Interacting with voters and donors. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that politicians put a great deal of energy into every single handshake they make at a campaign event. They want each individual that they interact with to feel valued and appreciated. And they do this by focusing on each interaction, even if it only last for a couple of seconds.

Staying on message. One of the most important elements when it comes to building a personal brand is consistently staying “on message.” They want to hammer the same themes home time after time, and the more they can keep their message consistent, the more sincere and genuine they seem.

You may not be running for office, but you are competing for business. And each of the strategies that are currently being utilized by politicians across the nation can be adapted to work for you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’d like to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-and-the-presidency-how-personal-branding-impacts-political-races.php/feed0Why You Need a Personal Brand, Not Just a Company Brandhttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/why-you-need-a-personal-brand-not-just-a-company-brand.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/why-you-need-a-personal-brand-not-just-a-company-brand.php#respondWed, 10 Oct 2012 08:05:56 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4127Branding is a very common element of a marketing campaign, and has been for many years. We all recognize the power of international brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, and Apple. Personal branding, on the other hand, is a little bit less well-understood. Rather than focusing on a business, personal branding seeks to help an individual build a powerful brand. Think Donald Trump or Oprah. That brand can stand for anything, though for most business owners credibility and expertise are significant components.

From time to time, I am asked why personal branding is so valuable—why a business owner should focus on their personal brand instead of simply their company brand. Below are three important answers to this question:

People buy people. When it comes to choosing a business to purchase from, consumers have consistently demonstrated that they prefer to do business with others that they know and trust. Where a company can sometimes seem “faceless” or anonymous, an individual has no such problem. While billion-dollar brands can establish credibility for the business, it is much harder for a small to mid-sized company to achieve this type of credibility without an emphasis on personal branding.

People are more memorable than companies. In addition to establishing credibility, creating “memorability” is a critical function of an effective brand. Simply put, you want potential customers to think of you when they need your products or services—not your competitors. And it’s easier for an individual to create this type of memorability than it is for a business itself.

People can become experts, companies very rarely accomplish this. One of the most important goals we have for each of our clients is to turn them into experts within their market. There are many ways we do this—from publishing books to appearing on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates across the country. While it is relatively easy to turn an individual into an expert, it is much more difficult to create a company brand that conveys this message. In fact, most businesses that have successfully branded themselves as experts within a market usually accomplished this by first establishing individuals within the business as leading experts.

Now don’t misunderstand—building a corporate brand is important as well. But when it comes to getting the most “bang for your buck” as a small or mid-sized business, it’s impossible to beat the power of personal branding!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/why-you-need-a-personal-brand-not-just-a-company-brand.php/feed0Personal Branding: Do You Have a Book in You?https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-do-you-have-a-book-in-you.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-do-you-have-a-book-in-you.php#respondFri, 05 Oct 2012 14:48:02 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4108One of the best strategies for building a powerful personal brand is publishing a book. I’ve helped hundreds of business owners through this process—and most of them would tell you that publishing their first book was among the most significant turning points in their career.

Yet, many business owners flinch at the idea of publishing a book. The most common reaction they have is “I don’t have anything to write about.” Most of the time, they’re just plain wrong—they DO have a book in them, and a successful one at that.

Do you have a book in you? Below are four questions to ask:

1) Do you have a unique perspective on your industry? Most industries deal with “groupthink” to some degree—but not everyone agrees. Do you have a unique perspective that flies in the face of the “common wisdom” in your industry? If so, you’ve got the premise of a book on your hands.

2) Does your experience give you valuable insights to share with readers? Have you “seen it all” over the years in your industry? Can you provide valuable tips and tricks to readers? If so, you’ve got a book to write!

3) Do you have a story to tell? Why are you in business? Do you believe passionately in a certain idea or a cause? Does your business allow you to make an impact on those around you? If you have a story to tell, why not make a book out of it?

4) Do you already write a blog, articles, or other content? Why waste the hard work you’ve put into writing content over the years? Consider re-purposing your existing content into book form. In many cases, all you’ll need to do is spend some time strategizing and editing your existing content. If you’ve got a wealth of content already created, you’ve definitely got a book in you!

If your answer to any of the questions I’ve just posed was “yes”… you have the ability to write a book. Doing so just may be the best decision you ever make. If you’d like to learn more about the process, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any other agent at our agency!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/personal-branding-do-you-have-a-book-in-you.php/feed0Giving Your Brand Story “Primal Power”: The Science of Storytellinghttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/giving-your-brand-story-primal-power-the-science-of-storytelling.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/giving-your-brand-story-primal-power-the-science-of-storytelling.php#respondMon, 24 Sep 2012 16:27:05 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4090This post was originally featured on FastCompany.com. The original blog, written by Nick Nanton and JW Dicks can be found here: Giving Your Brand Primal Power Through Storytelling

“Once upon a time…”

Those four little words, when combined, have an amazing allure, simply because we know that they signify that something special is about to happen…a story.

Humanity has used stories from the beginning to bind communities, create movements, inspire religions and promote patriotism. From cave drawings to campfire tales, from papyrus writings to the Guttenberg Bible, our species has always rallied around stories – narratives that had the ability to hit us where we live and take us to someplace new.

At our agency, we make what we call “story-selling” an essential component of our branding efforts with our clients. We’ve seen first-hand that, when you create the proper story, you’ve done most of the heavy-lifting required to build a successful brand.

The question, though, is why – why do stories have such “primal power” when it comes to influencing an audience?

It turns out there’s a perfectly good scientific explanation: Stories affect us on both on an incredibly deep intellectual and emotional level that studies are just beginning to understand.

That quest began when scientists discovered that fictional stories affected the same region of the brain that reacts when we ourselves are engaged in real-life drama. Stories create a bonding empathy which causes us to strongly identify with the made-up protagonist – as if we were, in fact, that person. In other words, stories have such impact because our brains actually get a little mixed-up as to what’s real and what’s not.

Further investigation has revealed that the actual physical process triggered by stories is the release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that’s usually affected by close emotional interaction – which is why its nickname is “the love hormone.” Researcher Paul Zak from Claremont Graduate University, California, explains how oxytocin makes well-crafted stories that we read in books and watch in films and on television irresistible: “We are empathetically engaged. We are treating this as if it is our real family. We can’t help but care for these people.”

Scientists have also determined why stories are so important to our intellectual activity: Our brains use them to process different strands of information and make sense of it all. It’s no secret that our early ancestors created elaborate stories about various mythological gods to explain various natural phenomena they couldn’t understand. Frankly, all of us are always after an explanation for why things are the way they are.

Think about all the data you take in on a daily basis (especially these days when non-stop information is the rule, not the exception); for the most part, it adds up to nothing but chaos. Your brain, however, desperately wants a narrative to make it all understandable – even if that narrative happens to be wrong.

This is why certain stories have “primal power” as well as an enduring fascination. Consider that NBC’s coverage of the Olympics in recent years, including this year’s London games, has focused extensively on the stories of the U.S. athletes’ various challenges and struggles, so that the events themselves have more narrative power. And then there are the multitude of network one-hour “procedural” dramas, the alphabet-soup of CSI, L&O and NCIS shows and spin-offs, in which the killer is always caught and the audience is allowed to feel things are under control.

When someone’s brand story hits “the sweet spot” with his or her intended audience, the effects can be far-reaching and incredible – because it’s all about biology. We can’t help but be drawn in by a great story. That’s why Donald Trump knows it’s valuable to keep sounding off about whatever he wants – because being outspoken is his “brand story,” just as elegant entertaining is Martha Stewart’s and everyday cooking is Rachael Ray’s. Their brands endure because the public wants to keep hearing their “stories.”

The power of storytelling is no fairy tale. So put a strong story in place with your brand – that is, if you want your business to have a happy ending.

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/giving-your-brand-story-primal-power-the-science-of-storytelling.php/feed0Personal Branding Success: Why Relationships Are the “Missing Ingredient”https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-success-why-relationships-are-the-missing-ingredient.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-success-why-relationships-are-the-missing-ingredient.php#respondMon, 10 Sep 2012 08:43:30 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4071There are a whole lot of elements that go into building an effective personal brand. Credibility and visibility are two of these crucial elements—credibility to ensure that the business owner is perceived to be an expert in his or her industry, and visibility ensuring that the business owner reaches his or her audience. But beyond these elements and a variety of additional strategies that go into building a powerful brand, there is a “missing ingredient” which is often overlooked.

That ingredient is relationships. It is only through building strong relationships that your personal brand can achieve maximum effectiveness.

Why is this? Because people buy people. They want to do business with individuals that they know, and that they trust. This means that, in addition to the more traditional branding strategies that you are pursuing, you must also be working to develop strong relationships with colleagues, fellow professionals, and potential customers.

These relationships have the power to “prove” that you are:

1) Trustworthy. Today’s consumers are increasingly skeptical, and with good reason. For every great business, there are five more that either do a terrible job or are outright scams. But a strong relationship demonstrates your trustworthiness and makes potential clients much more inclined to do business with you.

2) Knowledgeable. Trust is great, but it alone isn’t enough to close the deal. You need to show that you are a credible expert in your industry. Hopefully you’re pursuing some, if not all, of the strategies that we regularly discuss on my blog and in these articles—because they will position you as an expert within your market. But it’s important that your face-to-face relationship with consumers in your market convey the same image. If your books, your website, and your media presence position you as a respected thought-leader in your industry, your in-person persona should reinforce this image.

3) Relational. Consumers prefer to do business with others that they like. After all, if they’re going to be spending time working with you or with your team, they want to be sure that the time is enjoyable. (Or at least, that it’s not unpleasant.) For many of you, this comes naturally. But if it doesn’t, it’s important that you make an effort to become known as someone who is pleasant to deal with.

4) Reachable. Finally, developing real-life relationships with others in your market demonstrates that you are reachable. One of the fears that many consumers have is that they will agree to do business with an individual or a firm, write them a check—and rarely hear from them again. Work to establish a reputation as someone that is reachable—that returns phone calls or responds to email. It’s much easier for a potential customer to decide to do business with you when they have complete confidence that they’ll always be able to get you on the phone! (Keep in mind that it doesn’t always have to be you. A good staff can help relieve the burden of having to respond to hundreds of questions, which happens when you have a large client base, and still keep your customers happy because you and your team are always reachable.)

As you work to create a powerful personal brand, it is important that you continue to invest into building and developing relationships. As you do this, you’ll find that converting prospects into clients becomes easier than ever!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-success-why-relationships-are-the-missing-ingredient.php/feed0Build Credibility Without Re-Inventing the Wheel: Learn to Repurpose Your Contenthttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/build-credibility-without-re-inventing-the-wheel-learn-to-repurpose-your-content.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/build-credibility-without-re-inventing-the-wheel-learn-to-repurpose-your-content.php#respondFri, 07 Sep 2012 16:26:54 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=4058If you have been paying attention to this blog, you know how important it is that you are consistently creating content that reinforces your expertise and your authoritative status within your market. Whether it is giving a speech, writing a book, appearing on TV, or something else entirely—creating content that positions you as an expert is a crucial element of creating a powerful personal brand.

There’s a problem with that, though. You’re a business owner—and as such, you simply don’t have the time to keep creating content. You’ve got a business to run!

So here’s a tip for you: don’t re-invent the wheel if you don’t have to! Learn to re-purpose content whenever possible. If you’ve just completed a big project for a client, and you have permission to do so, why not re-purpose some of that work for a blog entry or a news article? The truth is that much of the messaging that goes into a book, a speech, a blog article, or similar items can be reused elsewhere. Specifically, consider re-purposing your content into:

1) Blog entries. Got a couple hundred words of insight in an email, or some other format? Turn it into a blog entry!

2) E-books. Publishing an e-book is a great way to build credibility and provide value. And if you blog regularly, chances are that you have more than enough content to create a great e-book.

3) Traditional books. Or, if you’ve got even more content to pull from, think bigger than an e-book—consider publishing a physical book. The impact that publishing a book will have on your personal brand is impossible to overstate.

4) Speeches. Don’t forget about speeches and lectures. Whether it’s a book or a collection of blogs and articles centered around a common theme, chances are you can put together a strong outline for a speech just by pulling from content you already created.

You get the point! If you’ve been producing content, get as much “bang for your buck” as possible and leverage it through a variety of different mediums. As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or any of the agents at our agency if you’d like to learn more!

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/build-credibility-without-re-inventing-the-wheel-learn-to-repurpose-your-content.php/feed0Create Raving Fans: It’s All In The Detailshttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/create-raving-fans-its-all-in-the-details.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/create-raving-fans-its-all-in-the-details.php#respondThu, 31 May 2012 23:45:24 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=3958I’ve talked about the value of “raving fans” previously on my blog, but let’s take a moment for a quick refresher. A raving fan is a customer or client who isn’t just satisfied… but is so thrilled with the services or products that you provide that he/she can’t stop spreading the word. A raving fan is incredibly valuable, because there is literally no form of marketing that is more effective than legitimate word-of-mouth recommendations.

So what can you do to create more raving fans?

Obviously, it starts with delivering quality products and services that meet or exceed the expectations of your customers. That means not over-promising, and it means delivering consistently. But this alone doesn’t create raving fans.

One of the most effective ways to create raving fans is by getting the details right. It’s the “little” touches that take your customer experience to the next level. For instance…

Packaging. Have you ever bought an Apple product? If so, you know what I mean. Sometimes it seems like Apple takes as much time designing the packaging for their products as they do engineering their complicated devices. The result is that, every time you purchase a new product, you feel like you’re unwrapping something of incredible valuable.

Beating deadlines. There are a number of world-class companies, including Apple and Zappos.com, that take pride in beating their deadlines when it comes to shipping a product. They’ll tell you to expect delivery on Friday, for instance, and instead the product shows up on Wednesday or Thursday. And who isn’t delighted when a package shows up early?

Customer service. Many large companies struggle in this area—you probably know exactly what I mean. Have you ever spent 45 minutes on the phone, transferring from department to department in frustration before finally hanging up in frustration? This is all too common—but the good news is that it gives your business a chance to shine. Stellar customer service stands out in a world dominated by automated “help” lines and disinterested agents.

These are just three examples of “little” details that are often ignored by businesses. How many other opportunities can you find to WOW customers and create raving fans?

]]>https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/create-raving-fans-its-all-in-the-details.php/feed0Build Raving Fans: What the Music Industry Can Teach You About Inspiring Loyalty, Part Twohttps://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/build-raving-fans-what-the-music-industry-can-teach-you-about-inspiring-loyalty-part-two.php
https://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/blog/build-raving-fans-what-the-music-industry-can-teach-you-about-inspiring-loyalty-part-two.php#respondThu, 31 May 2012 19:10:02 +0000http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/?p=3899In the previous installment of this series, I covered four valuable lessons that business owners can draw from the music industry and apply to their own businesses. Specifically, the topic we’re addressing is how to build raving fans, that can’t stop telling people about what you do. Clearly, successful bands and artists do the same thing—and today we’re going to look at three more tools that they use to accomplish this goal:

1) Learn to tell a good story. Whether it is in the lyrics of their songs, in their music videos, or as a part of their biography, the best performers have the ability to tell a compelling story that resonates with their audience. What is the story that your business is telling? It doesn’t have to be anything over the top—something like “we’re the most experienced public accounting firm in Orlando” is more than enough, if it is consistently and persuasively told.

2) Give content away for free. The music industry grasped very early on that nobody is going to pay for a concert ticket or for a record from an artist that they haven’t heard. So they came up with a way to expose people to their music, in the form of singles on the radio and on channels like MTV. As a business, you can do the same through channels like a blog, social media, or articles that you write in newspapers and magazines. Let people get to know who you are and how you think… and they’ll be much more likely to become a customer!

3) Remember… it’s not about the music (or your products and services), it’s about how you make your audience feel. U2 isn’t one of the most popular bands in the world because of their technical skills. It’s not their chord progressions or Bono’s voice. It’s the total package they present—and the impact that their music has on an audience. Similarly, it’s not about your products… it’s about the impact they have on the day-to-day life of your customers.

The music industry may be a bit more “glamorous” than your industry, but the principles of success are very much the same. If you can apply these tips to your business, you’ll be better off for it! As always, if you have more questions, you can contact me or any of our agents at the agency!